Reading The Son of Neptune
by IAmLordVoldemort2
Summary: Annabeth has been struggling since Percy went missing. She doesn't know if he's even alive. So when a certain sea god breaks the rules to send her a book that will ease her pain, how will she react to it's contents? Set post-TLH, pre-SON. NONE OF THE FOLLOWING: Time Travel; Gods visiting; Jelly Jason; Obvious Remarks; Extra Chapters (except prologue/epilogue); OOC. T for language
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So, this isn't my first Fanfiction, I swear. It's just been forever since I've been on, and I can't remember my old password or my old username. So I made a new account. **

**This is people read the books Fanfiction. Cliche, yes, but I'm hoping to make this unique. Please give it a chance! I'm not gonna bring in hundreds of people and (hopefully) won't make people say and think too many cliche things. **

**FYI, my updating may slow down when I get to Frank and Hazel's past lives. I read them once, and practically committed them to memory. Now I find those scenes kind of boring. It's not that I don't like the character, it's that I like to stay in the moment and have a lot of action. So don't get mad at me.. This will probably start at _Hazel VI_. **

**Please read and review!**

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Annabeth was curled up in her bed in the fetal position. She was trying to hang on to her pleasant _normal_ dream. For once, her dream didn't have any kind of mystical occurrence It was simply of Percy holding her while they sat on the beach together. He'd say something only a seaweed brain would say and Annabeth would turn to him and kiss him.

But as she tried to force herself back to sleep, the dream just slipped away like dust in the wind. She knew it was all still there, but she'd probably never see it again. She stayed in her position nonetheless, for she didn't want to be disturbed by her siblings yet.

Her siblings were sympathetic, they knew when not to approach her. But, weather it conscious or not, they kept sending her looks of pity. Except for her second-in-command, Malcolm. He would send looks that said _I told you he'd only hurt you, but you were too proud to listen to me_. He didn't seem to realize how Percy cared for Annabeth, all he saw was the relationship went against their mother's wishes.

She could hear all her siblings milling around, getting ready for the day, doing their chores, and sitting down to work on their multitude of projects. Finally, when she felt she could take the looks of pity without imploding or exploding, did she pull herself out of the warm bed. She pulled a set of clothes from the trunk at the foot of her bed and changed in the bathroom.

When she came back, in denim shorts and a fresh camp shirt, she made her bed. When breakfast came along, she slipped on one of Percy's sweatshirts, which she had 'forgotten' to give back the night he disappeared, and called her cabin into line. An uneventful breakfast passed. The same for lunch.

After lunch did what she had taken to doing daily. She'd spend an hour or so alone at the beach. She curled up on an old blue blanket curled up in Percy's sweatshirt. She was about to fall asleep when she felt a sharp pinch on her toe. She wanted to ignore it, but even in the mortal world, a pinch could be poisonous.

She looked down to her toes and found a small red crab. On the camp shores, sea creatures weren't abnormal. What was abnormal about this particular crab was that it was carrying a sea-blue envelope in his claw, and a small package was tied around it's shell. Boldly printed in a strong and elegant handwriting was Annabeth's name. She took the letter, untied the package and thanked the crab with a drachama. It scuttled back into the water with the gold coin pinched in it's claw.

She looked at the envelope. Poseidon was contacting her? She decided if he was defying Zeus' orders, it must be important. She opened the envelope and took out the letter.

_Annabeth,_

_Despite Zeus' orders, I have been checking up on you and your fellow campers. I personally believe that the new ways involving interacting with our children was a step in the right direction. I apologize for my brother's two steps back._

_It has come to my attention that you especially are stressing about my sons whereabouts, I'm sorry to say I don't know where he his. However, I have obtained a book about his future. I'd like you to read it so you can stop stressing out about his well-being so your well-being gets better. _

_You may read this with your friends if you wish, however if you prefer, you may read this by yourself. I personally suggest you read this in a group to ease your friends' minds as well I also think it'd be beneficial for to you invite Jason, Piper, and Leo as well so they can get to know Percy through his actions and thoughts as opposed to the rumors that spread around your camp. Inviting Jason to read along may also help improve his memory._

_You must understand, your memories must be erased at some point before this all comes to pass. I've just sent this temporarily ease your mind. The only memories anyone will remember is whatever Jason remembers from his past. If you, or anyone else reading with you, tries to do alter this timeline, such as going to Camp Jupiter before Percy gets there, the book will disappear, as will your memories, and whatever Jason remembers from his past. So I beg, only allow the most trustworthy people to join you. Believe it or not, it hurts me to see children such as yourself stressed out about these should-be-for adult issues. __As you read this book, you have my permission to use Cabin Three for privacy. Bunker Nine would also be an exceptional place to read so you can keep working on your ship._

_And just so you're aware, I have sent a copy of this to Sally and Paul as well. You don't have to worry about informing either of them._

_Good Luck._

_~Poseidon_

A book about Percy? Hades yeah, she'd read it! But she would forget it eventually? But to be relieved of all the stress on her, even if only temporary, evened that thought out. Knowing who she would ask, she stood from her spot on the beach and shook out the blanket.

After tracking down her reading companions (Jason, Piper, Leo, Nico, Thalia, and Grover) they all went to Percy's cabin. Annabeth claimed Percy's bed as her seat, and wrapped herself in his comforter. Thalia took a seat beside her just in case she ended up breaking down. Jason, Piper, Leo, and Grover seated themselves on Tyson's larger bed. Nico took a seat on the cabin floor.

"What's the title of the book?" Grover asked. Annabeth unwrapped the package and studied the cover. On it, there was a teenage boy crawling onto a slab of ice with a golden eagle in hand. Electricity was emitting from the eagle. In the background, a large number of people and white buildings were falling from a glacier But Annabeth kept going back to the boy. It was Percy. It had to be Percy. Who else could survive the obviously freezing temperature of that water in jeans and a jacket?

She was so distracted, Grover had to repeat his question. Twice. "The Son of Neptune." Annabeth said.

"But he's not Roman." Thalia said confused.

"No, but it confirms our suspicions he's at the Roman camp." Grover pointed out. "Probably."

"Who's gonna read first?" Leo asked, excited to start the book.

Everyone looked at Annabeth. "No. I don't. Not first anyway."

"GASP!" Leo yelled. "A child of Athena that _doesn't_ want to read?"

Annabeth wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Leo, shut up or I'll kick you out."

Leo shut his mouth.

"I'll read." Thalia said taking the book from Annabeth's hands.

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**YAY! Prologue is done. **

**For the record, I LOVE constructive criticism, so please send some. ESPECIALLY if I misspell something. I also love being asked questions. If anyone sends me any, I'll answer them at the end of the next chapter. I'll also make y'all a deal:**

**0-5 reviews: I'll update when the next chapter is written. I don't know when that will be.**

**6-10 reviews: I'll work really hard to update in the next week or two.**

**11-15 reviews: I'll make myself update by the end of the week.**

**16+ reviews: I'll update next time I get online. (I get online 2-3 times per day)**


	2. Percy I

******Thanks for the reviews last chapter! You got up to a good number for it being the first. Can we get more this time? 17 or more!**

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******Percy I**

******The snake-haired ladies were starting to annoy Percy. They should have died three days ago when he dropped a crate of bowling balls on them at the Napa Bargain Mart. They should have died two days ago when he ran over them with a police car in Martinez. They **_****__**definitely **_******should have died this morning when he cut off their heads in Tidan Park.**

"All that, and they were only _starting_ to annoy him?" Nico asked in disbelief.

******No matter how many times Percy killed them and watched them crumble to powder, they just kept re-forming like large evil dust bunnies.**

"Yep. This is definitely our Percy." Thalia determined.

"And you know this for a fact, how?" Piper asked half afraid of the answer.

"Percy is the only person we know that might describe monsters as 'large evil dust bunnies', besides Leo and the Stolls of course. But the three of them aren't missing."

******He couldn't even seem to outrun them.**

******He reached the top of the hill and caught his breath. How long since he'd last killed them? Maybe two hours. They never seemed to stay dead longer than that.**

******The past few days, he'd hardly slept. He'd eaten whatever he could scrounge-vending machine gummi bears,**

"I LOVE GUMMI BEARS!" Leo shouted. Piper elbowed him to shut up.

******stale bagels, even a Jack in the Crack burrito, **

"I don't even want to know..." Piper started.

******which was a new personal low. His clothes were torn, burned, and splattered with monster slime.**

******He'd only survived this long because the two snake-haired ladies-**_****__**gorgons,**_

"No." Annabeth muttered.

"What?" Jason asked.

"These two gorgons are Medusa's sisters." Grover said figuring it our.

"So?"

"Percy killed her five years ago. The other two have been known to hold a grudge."

******they called themselves-couldn't seem to kill him either. Their claws didn't cut his skin. Their teeth broke whenever they tried to bite him.**

"How-?" Leo started, but he muted himself when he saw Piper's glare. And Annabeth's. And Thalia's.

**But Percy couldn't keep going much longer. Soon he'd collapse from exhaustion, and then-as hard as he was to kill, he was pretty sure the gorgons would find a way.**

******Where to run?**

"CAMP HALF-BLOOD!" Leo yelled, throwing his hands up like a touchdown had been made.

******He scanned his surroundings. Under different curcumstances, he might've enjoyed the view. To his left, golden hills rolled inland, dotted with lakes, woods, and a few herds of cows. To his right, the flatlands of Berkeley and Oakland marched west-a vast checkerboard of neighborhoods, with several million people who probably did not want their morning interrupted by two monsters and a filthy demigod.**

"I wouldn't." Nico muttered.

******Farther west, San Francisco Bay glittered under a silvery haze. Past that, a wall of fog had swallowed most of San Francisco, leaving just the tops of skyscrapers and the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.**

******A vague sadness weighed on Percy's chest. Something told him he'd been to San Francisco before. **

"Not under the best circumstances either." Thalia muttered.

******The city had some connection to Annabeth-the only person he could remember from his past.**

Annabeth's breath hitched. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying.

"It's definetly him." Nico said.

******His memory of her was frustratingly dim. The wolf had promised he would see her again and regain his memory-**_****__**if **_******he succeeded in his journey.**

"I don't like the 'if'." Annabeth said.

******Should he try to cross the bay?**

"No." Grover said. "There's an entire city between you and the ocean."

******It was tempting. He could feel the power of the ocean just over the horizon. Water always revived him. Salt water was the best. He'd discovered that two days ago when he had strangled a sea monster in the Carquinez Strait. If he could reach the bay, he might be able to make a last stand. Maybe he could even drown the gorgons. But the shore was at least two miles away. He'd have to cross an entire city.**

"Grover, you said the same thing as Percy." Nico said. "Do we need a medic?"

"Grover doesn't need a medic." Thalia said. "Annabeth is just finally rubbing off on Percy. Just put some faith in him for once." Though, if it weren't for Annabeth's fragile state, she might've made that joke too.

******He hesitated for another reason. The she-wolf Lupa had taught him to sharpen his senses-to trust the instincts that had been guiding him south. His homing radar was tingling like crazy now. The end of his journey was close-almost right under his feet. But how could that be? There was nothing on the hilltop.**

******The wind changed. Percy caught the sour scent of reptile. A hundred yards down the slope, something rustled through the woods-snapping branches, crunching leaves, hissing.**

******Gorgons.**

******For the millionth time, Percy wished their noses weren't so good. They had always said they could **_****__**smell **_******him because he was a demigod-the half-blood of some Roman god. **

"Greek." Nico said stubbornly.

******Percy had tried rolling in mud, splashing through creeks, even keeping air-freshener sticks in his pockets so he'd have that new car smell; but apparently demigod stink was hard to mask.**

"Try twelve years with a smelly step father." Grover said. "That might help."

"What are you talking about?" Leo asked. Nobody shushed him that time cause they were wondering too.

"That's how he survived till he was twelve. His mom married this guy. Horrible person, never actually met him, but still, he had a stench that could still linger on Percy after six months away from the apartment. Our dorm room smelled really bad."

******He scrambled to the west side of the summit It was too steep to descend. The slope plummeted eighty feet, straight to the roof of an apartment complex built into the hillside. Fifty feet below that, a highway emerged from the hill's base and wound it's way toward Berkely.**

******Great. No other way off the hill. He'd managed to get himself cornered.**

"Seaweed Brain." Annabeth groand exasperated******.**

******He stared at the stream of cars flowing west toward San Francisco and wished he were in one of them. Then he realized the highway must cut through the hill. There must be a tunnel...right under his feet.**

******His iternal radar went nuts. He **_****__**was **_******in the right place, just too high up. He had to check out that tunnel. He needed a way down to the highway-fast.**

******He slung off his backpack. He'd managed to grab a lot of supplies at the Napa Bargain Mart: a portable GPS, **

"That would've been nice." All the demigods choursed. They all were reffering to a different quest though. Everyone burst out laughing.

******duct tape, lighter, superglue, **

"Check, check, and check." Leo said as he checked the pockets of his toolbelt (and ignited his finger).

******water bottle, camping roll, a Comfy Panda Pillow Pet (as seen on TV), and a Swiss army knife-pretty much every tool a modern demigod could want. But he had nothing that would serve as a parachute or a sled.**

******That left him two options: jump eighty feet to his death, or stand and fight. Both options sounded pretty bad.**

"Fight." Annabeth and Nico choursed.

******He cursed and pulled his pen from his pocket.**

"What's he gonna do?" Leo asked. "Give them blood poisoning?"

******The pen didn't look like much, just a regular cheap ball-point, but when Percy uncapped it, it grew into a glowing bronze sword. The blade balanced perfectly. The leather group fit his hand like it had been custom designed for him. Etched along the guard was an Ancient Greek work Percy somehow understood:**_****__**Anaklusmos-**_******Riptide.**

"That's pretty wicked." Leo said in a fake British accent.

**He'd woken up with this sword his first night at the Wolf House-two months ago? More? He'd lost track. He'd found himself in the courtyard of a burned-put mansion in the middle of the woods, wearing shorts, an orange t-shirt, and a leather necklace with a bunch of strange clay beads. Riptide had been in his hand, but Percy had no idea how he'd gotten there, and only the vaguest idea who he was. He'd been barefoot, freezing, and confused. And then the wolves came...**

"Bum bum bummm!" Leo sang dramatically. Everyone rolled their eyes, but chuckled nonetheless.

******Right next to him, a familiar voice jolted him back to the present: 'There you are!'**

******Percy stumbled away from the gorgon, almost falling off the edge of the hill.**

******It was the smiley one – Beano.**

"Beano?"

******Okay, her name wasn't really Beano. As near as Percy could figure, he was dyslexic, because words got twisted around when he tried to read. The first time he'd seen the gorgon, posing as a Bargain Mart greeter with a big green button that read: Welcome! My name is stheno, he'd thought it said beano.**

"I like Beano better." Nico said. "I'm keeping that way."

******She was still wearing her green Bargain Mart employee vest over a flower-print dress. If you looked just at her body, you might think she was somebody's dumpy old grandmother – until you looked down and realized she had rooster feet. Or you looked up and saw bronze tusks sticking out of the corners of her mouth. Her eyes glowed red, and her hair was a writhing nest of bright green snakes.**

******The most horrible thing about her?**

"What could be worse then rooster feet and bronze tusks?" Piper asked.

******She was still holding her big silver platter of free samples: Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners. Her platter was dented from all the times Percy had killed her, but those little samples looked perfectly fine. **

"I can see his reasoning."

She, Jason, and Leo all shuddered slightly as they remembered their run in with the Maenads.

******Stheno just kept toting them across California so she could offer Percy a snack before she killed him. Percy didn't know why she kept doing that, but if he ever needed a suit of armour he was going to make it out of Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners. They were indestructible.**

Leo pulled a notebook and a pen from his toolbelt. _Note to self: _he wrote. _Test armour made of Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners. _Nobody even had to ask what he was writing down.

******'Try one?' Stheno offered.**

******Percy fended her off with his sword. 'Where's your sister?'**

******'Oh, put the sword away,' Stheno chided. 'You know by now that even celestial bronze can't kill us for long. Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener! They're on sale this week, and I'd hate to kill you on an empty stomach.'**

"At least she's nice." Jason tried.

"So was Medusa." Grover said.

"The nice ones are the worst." Annabeth said. "It makes it hard to want to kill them."

******'Stheno!' The second gorgon appeared on Percy's right so fast he didn't have time to react. Fortunately she was too busy glaring at her sister to pay him much attention. **

"Are you sure you read that right?" Nico asked. "There's no way Percy could have luck that good."

Thalia pretended to study the book again. "No, I read it right. Must be a typo." She decided.

******'I told you to sneak up on him and kill him!'**

******Stheno's smile wavered. 'But, Euryale ' She said the name so it rhymed with Muriel. 'Can't I give him a sample first?'**

"Is it bad I'm starting to like this monster?" Leo asked.

******'No, you imbecile!' Euryale turned towards Percy and bared her fangs.**

******Except for her hair, which was a nest of coral snakes instead of green vipers, she looked exactly like her sister. Her Bargain Mart vest, her flowery dress, even her tusks were decorated with 50% off stickers. Her name badge read: Hello! My name is die, demigod scum!**

"Blunt and to the point." Jason noticed. "Why can't they all be like that?"

******'You've lead us on quite a chase, Percy Jackson,' Euryale said. 'But now you're trapped, and we'll have our revenge!'**

******'The Cheese 'n' Wieners are only $2.99,' Stheno added helpfully. 'Grocery department, aisle three.'**

Leo noted that down too.

******Euryale snarled. 'Stheno, the Bargain Mart was a front! You're going native! Now, put down that ridiculous tray and help me kill this demigod. Or have you forgotten that he's the one who vaporized Medusa?'**

******Percy stepped back. Six more inches, and he'd be tumbling through thin air. 'Look, ladies, we've been over this. I don't even remember killing Medusa. I don't remember anything! Can't we just call a truce and talk about your weekly specials?'**

******Stheno gave her sister a pouty look, which was hard to do with giant bronze tusks. 'Can we?'**

"To answer your earlier question," Thalia said to Leo. "Yes, it's bad, but I kind of like Beano too." Nico nodded in agreement.

******'No!' Euryale's red eyes bored into Percy. 'I don't care what you remember, son of the sea god. I can smell Medusa's blood on you. It's faint, yes, several years old, but you were the last one to defeat her. She still has not returned from Tartarus. It's your fault!'**

"So Gaea's not letting _Medusa _up?" Grover asked. "You'd think she would."

******Percy didn't really get that.**

******The whole 'dying then returning from Tartarus' concept gave him a headache.**

"Amen, brother!" Leo said.

******Of course, so did the idea that a ballpoint pen could turn into a sword, or that monsters could disguise themselves with something called the Mist, or that Percy was the son of some barnacle-encrusted god from five thousand years ago.**

"I don't think Poseidon is too happy with that description." Annabeth said.

******But he did believe it. Even though his memory was erased, he knew he was a demigod the same way he knew his name was Percy Jackson. From his very first conversation with Lupa the wolf, he'd accepted that this crazy messed-up world of gods and monsters was his reality. Which pretty much sucked.**

All the demigods let out somekind of an agreement.

******'How about we call it a draw?' he said. 'I can't kill you. You can't kill me. If you're Medusa's sisters – like the Medusa who turned******** people to stone – shouldn't I be petrified by now?'**

"They're not gonna like that." Annabeth said.

******'Heroes!' Euryale said with disgust. 'They always bring that up, just like our mother! "Why can't you turn people to stone? Your sister can turn people to stone." Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, boy! That was Medusa's curse alone. She was the most hideous one in the family. She got all the luck!'**

******Stheno looked hurt. 'Mother said I was the most hideous.'**

"Poor Beano." Leo muttered.

******'Quiet!' Euryale snapped. 'As for you, Percy Jackson, it's true you bear the mark of Achilles. That makes you a little tougher to kill. But don't worry. We'll find a way.'**

"He has the curse of _Achilles_? " Jason asked.

Nico nodded. "Took me a year to convince him."

"We'd all be dead without it." Thalia added.

******'The mark of what?'**

******'Achilles,' Stheno said cheerfully. 'Oh, he was gorgeous! Dipped in the River Styx as a child, you know, so he was invulnerable except for a tiny spot on his ankle. That's what happened to you, dear. Someone must've dumped you in the Styx and made your skin like iron. But not to worry. Heroes like you always have a weak spot. We just have to find it, and then we can kill you. Won't that be lovely? Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener!'**

"If he just took one every time she offered, he'd probably have at least enough for a brestplate by now." Leo said.

******Percy tried to think. He didn't remember any dip in the Styx.**

"Yeah." Annabeth said. "Forgetting that you bathed in a river to made you invincible, kind of goes with memory loss."

******Then again, he didn't remember much of anything. His skin didn't feel like iron, but it would explain how he'd held out so long against the gorgons.**

******Maybe if he just fell down the mountain would he survive?**

"Please don't try it." Annabeth prayed.

******He didn't want to risk it – not without something to slow the fall, or a sled, or**

******He looked at Stheno's large silver platter of free samples.**

"Yes!" Annabeth yelled a little too loud as she caught on.

******Hmm**

******'Reconsidering?' Stheno asked. 'Very wise, dear. I added some gorgon's blood to these, so your death will be quick and painless.'**

"I don't think she was suppose to tell him that."

******Percy's throat constricted. 'You added your blood to the Cheese 'n' Wieners?'**

******'Just a little.' Stheno smiled. 'A tiny nick on my arm, but you're sweet to be concerned. **

"Yes," Grover said sarcastically. "He was concerned for _your_ well-being."

******Blood from our right side can cure anything, you know, but blood from our left side is deadly –'**

******'You dimwit!' Euryale screeched. 'You're not supposed to tell him that! He won't eat the wieners if you tell him they're poisoned!'**

******Stheno looked stunned. 'He won't? But I said it would be quick and painless.'**

"I think I like her better than Sump and Torque." Piper said.

"Because she hasn't tried to kill you yet?" Leo asked.

"That, and Beano is more pitiful."

"And Beano isn't trying to eat him with salsa." Jason added.

"Yeah, she's offering _him_ food." Leo said.

******'Never mind!' Euryale's fingernails grew into claws. 'We'll kill him the hard way – just keep slashing until we find the weak spot.**

"With Percy's luck, they'll hit his heel on the next strike." Nico muttered.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Annabeth said. "Weather he knows it or not, he's actually pretty good at blocking it."

"Yeah, he blocks it with another body." Thalia said.

"Tha was my fault. And he's been better about." Annabeth defended. "He actually trained with me to practice blocking."

"You mean you know where it is?" Grover asked.

"Well, yeah. I didn't almost die because I _forgot_ he had Achilles' curse."

******Once we defeat Percy Jackson, we'll be more famous than Medusa! Our patron will reward us greatly!'**

******Percy gripped his sword. He'd have to time his move perfectly – a few seconds of confusion, grab the platter with his left hand**

******Keep them talking, he thought.**

******'Before you slash me to bits,' he said, 'who's this patron you mentioned?'**

******Euryale sneered. 'The goddess Gaia,of course! **

"No fair!" Leo complained. "He got an answer after the first time he asked."

******The one who brought us back from oblivion! You won't live long enough to meet her, but your friends below will soon face her wrath. Even now, her armies are marching south. At the Feast of Fortune, she'll awaken, and the demigods will be cut down like – like –'**

******'Like our low prices at Bargain Mart!' Stheno suggested.**

Everyone laughed. If only all monsters were like Beano.

******'Gah!' Euryale stormed towards her sister. Percy took the opening. He grabbed Stheno's platter, scattering poisoned Cheese 'n' Wieners, and slashed Riptide across Euryale's waist, cutting her in half.**

******He raised the platter, and Stheno found herself facing her own greasy reflection.**

******'Medusa!' she screamed.**

******Her sister Euryale had crumbled to dust, but she was already starting to re-form, like a snowman un-melting.**

******'Stheno, you fool!' she gurgled as her half-made face rose from the mound of dust. 'That's just your own reflection! Get him!'**

******Percy slammed the metal tray on to of Stheno's head, and she passed out cold.**

******He put the platter behind his butt, said a silent prayer to whatever Roman god oversaw stupid sledding tricks and jumped off the side of the hill.**

"End of chapter." Thalia annouced.

"Is there really a god of stupid sledding tricks?" Leo asked. "'Cause I really wanna meet him."

"Your kidding, right?" Piper asked.

Leo shook his head. Piper rolled her eyes, as did Thalia and Annabeth.

"No Leo." Jason said. "There is no god of stupid sledding tricks. I may have amnesia, but I know that god doesn't exist."

"Who's next?" Thalia asked. No one volunteered, so she threw it at Nico.

"What was that for?" he yelled.

Thalia shrugged. "Read." She demanded.

Nico groaned and opened the book.

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**Please Review! Same rules apply as last time. (0-5 waits till chapter is written on its own; 6-10 waits 1-2 weeks; 11-15 waits to end of the week; 16+ waits 1-2 days tops)**

**Q&A TIME!**

**Q: is Thalia a hunter or not and if so why is she at camp?**

**A: Yes, Thalia is a hunter. I'll specify this in the story later, but she is taking a break from the hunt to read this and comfort Annabeth when she breaks down. Also, this may or may not come into play later, but she is staying in Cabin One with Jason so neither is alone.**

**Q: Are you gonna have them read any other stories?**

**A: I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking about having them read Mark of Athena later, but that would be after they've left for Camp Jupiter. I'll let you guys know my decision later.**

**Q: Are u gonna bring in mor campers?**

**A: I'm bringing in Rachel later for sure, and maybe the Stolls and Chiron- those three would only be temporary though!**

**Q: Can we ask personal questions?**

**A: ...Sure... Just nothing creepy like my name or address**

**Q: Is percy going to come in soon ?**

**A: Percy WILL NOT be joining them**

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	3. Percy II

******So, someone sent me a review saying they reported me. I have one request. If you're going to insist on reporting me, don't do it behind an anonymous name. Have the decency to do it while logged in. **

******Also, only eight reviews. You guys got lazy. And yes, I am counting the hate review. Let's try for more this time? Same rules apply as last time for quicker updates.**

******NOW ONTO THE STORY!**

* * *

******THE THING ABOUT PLUMMETING DOWNHILL at fifty miles an hour on a snack platter—if you realize it's a bad idea when you're halfway down, it's too late.**

"No shit, Sherlock." Thalia said.

******Percy narrowly missed a tree,** ******glanced off a boulder,** ******and spun a three-sixty as he shot toward the highway.**

Annabeth's breath caught, though she knew he couldn't die. Why would Poseidon send her a book where he dies to make her feel better? And if he died this early, what about the rest of the book? And what about the scene on the covor?

******The stupid snack tray did not have power steering.**

_Snack Tray with Power Steering _Leo added to his list.

******He heard the gorgon sisters screaming and caught a glimpse of Euryale's coral-snake hair at the top of the hill, but he didn't have time to worry about it. The roof of the apartment building loomed below him like the prow of a battleship. Head-on collision in ten, nine, eight…**

"He's not gonna die." Thalia reassured Annabeth.

"And if he does," Nico said. "I will put him in the Fields of Punishment for leaving you alone. Then I'll move him to Elysium when you die so you can be together."

"Since when did you become a romantic?" Piper asked.

At the same time Leo yelled "No! Don't go to the dark side! Your suppose to be my _Forever Alone _Buddy!"

"Love actually has more to do with death than you may realize. And Leo," Leo looked up, tears lining his eyes. "We'll always be _Forever Alone _buddies." Leo smiled widely.

******He managed to swivel sideways to avoid breaking his legs on impact. The snack platter skittered across the roof and sailed through the air. The platter went one way. Percy went the other.**

******As he fell toward the highway, a horrible scenario flashed through his mind: his body smashing against an SUV's windshield, some annoyed commuter trying to push him off with the wipers. **_****__**Stupid sixteen-year-old kid falling from the sky! I'm late!**_

"It's almost like he's still here." Grover muttered.

******Miraculously, a gust of wind blew him to one side—just enough to miss the highway and crash into a clump of bushes. It wasn't a soft landing, but it was better than asphalt.**

"If only it was just a miracle." Annabeth said.

******Percy groaned. He wanted to lie there and pass out, but he had to keep moving.**

******He struggled to his feet. His hands were scratched up, but no bones seemed to be broken. He still had his backpack. Somewhere on the sled ride he'd lost his sword, but Percy knew it would eventually reappear in his pocket in pen form. That was part of its magic.**

******He glanced up the hill. The gorgons were hard to miss, with their colorful snake hair and their bright green Bargain Mart vests. They were picking their way down the slope, going slower than Percy but with a lot more control. Those chicken feet must've been good for climbing.**

"They're chicken feet." Leo said. "What do you expect?"

"Actually, chickens don't climb. Their feet are used to help them perch on things." Annabeth said smiling. Percy was still a Seaweed Brain, even _with _amnesia.

******Percy figured he had maybe five minutes before they reached him. Next to him, a tall chain-link fence separated the highway from a neighborhood of winding streets, cozy houses, and tall eucalyptus trees. The fence was probably there to keep people from getting onto the highway and doing stupid things—like sledding into the fast lane on snack trays—but the chain-link was full of big holes. Percy could easily slip through into the neighborhood. Maybe he could find a car and drive west to the ocean. He didn't like stealing cars,** ******but over the past few weeks, in life-and-death situations, he'd "borrowed" several, including a police cruiser. He'd meant to return them, but they never seemed to last very long.**

"The Stolls would be proud." Leo said. "They're always talking about how Percy was their prodigy before he went missing."

******He glanced east. Just as he'd figured, a hundred yards uphill the highway cut through the base of the cliff. Two tunnel entrances, one for each direction of traffic, stared down at him like eye sockets of a giant skull.**

"That sounds familiar." Jason mentioned.

******In the middle, where the nose would have been, a cement wall jutted from the hillside, with a metal door like the entrance to a bunker.**

******It might have been a maintenance tunnel. That's probably what mortals thought, if they noticed the door at all. But they couldn't see through the Mist. Percy knew the door was more than that. Two kids in armor flanked the entrance. They wore a bizarre mix of plumed Roman helmets, breastplates, scabbards, blue jeans, purple T-shirts, and white athletic shoes.**

******The guard on the right looked like a girl, though it was hard to tell for sure with all the armor. The one on the left was a stocky guy with a bow and quiver on his back. Both kids held long wooden staffs with iron spear tips, like old-fashioned harpoons.**

"A pilum." Jason remembered.

******Percy's internal radar was pinging like crazy. After so many horrible days, he'd finally reached his goal. His instincts told him that if he could make it inside that door, he might find safety for the first time since the wolves had sent him south.**

******So why did he feel such dread?**

"Because you're Greek!" Annabeth yelled.

******Farther up the hill, the gorgons were scrambling over the roof of the apartment complex. Three minutes away—maybe less.**

******Part of him wanted to run to the door in the hill. He'd have to cross to the median of the highway, but then it would be a short sprint. He could make it before the gorgons reached him.**

******Part of him wanted to head west to the ocean. That's where he'd be safest. That's where his power would be greatest. Those Roman guards at the door made him uneasy. Something inside him said: **_****__**This isn't my territory. This is dangerous.**_

******"You're right, of course," said a voice next to him. **

"I'm guessing that it's _her_." Annabeth said. No one heard her.

******Percy jumped. At first he thought Beano had managed to sneak up on him again, but the old lady sitting in the bushes was even more repulsive than a gorgon.**

"What could be more repulsive than a gorgon?" Leo asked.

"The Stolls after the Golden Mango incident." Thalia suggested.

"Nah." Nico said. "They we're just funny lookn'. My vote would be Piper's sisters. If they need that much make-up, they gotta be pretty ugly."

"Actually," Piper defended, though she wasn't sure why. "They're really pretty naturally. I think they add ten pounds of make-up just so when they wash it off at night, they're ten pounds lighter than that morning."

******She looked like a hippie who'd been kicked to the side of the road maybe forty years ago, where she'd been collecting trash and rags ever since. She wore a dress made of tie-dyed cloth, ripped-up quilts, and plastic grocery bags. Her frizzy mop of hair was gray-brown, like root-beer foam, tied back with a peace-sign headband. Warts and moles covered her face. When she smiled, she showed exactly three teeth. "It isn't a maintenance tunnel," she confided. "It's the entrance to camp." A jolt went up Percy's spine. **_****__**Camp.**_******Yes, that's where he was from. A camp. Maybe this was his home. Maybe Annabeth was close by.**

Annabeth bit her lip to keep from crying. Thalia wrapped her arms around the blonde.

******But something felt wrong. The gorgons were still on the roof of the apartment building. Then Stheno shrieked in delight and pointed in Percy's direction. The old hippie lady raised her eyebrows. "Not much time, child. You need to make your choice." "Who are you?" Percy asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The last thing he needed was another harmless mortal who turned out to be a monster. "Oh, you can call me June."**

"Oh for the love of Pete!" Thalia exclaimed. "Why must _she _be there?"

"I don't like her either." Nico said. "But I'm pretty sure she's the reason Percy isn't roadkill at the moment."

"Who is June?" Leo asked stupidly. Piper sent him a look that said _seriously, Leo?_.

"June, Juno, Hera." she said slowly so Leo would catch on.

"Oh." he said in understanding. Then he turned to the book and added, "KILL HER!"

******The old lady's eyes sparkled as if she'd made an excellent joke. "It **_****__**is **_******June, isn't it? They named the month after me!" "Okay…Look, I should go. Two gorgons are coming. I don't want them to hurt you." **

"Why is he so loyal?" Annabeth exclaimed. "Leave her at the mercy of Beano and Euryale!"

******June clasped her hands over her heart. "How sweet! But that's part of your choice!"**

"Pick the one that doesn't involve saving her!" Annabeth advised in a yell. Everyone in the room realized how distressed she was, so they let her yell at book Percy without making any comment.

"******My choice…" Percy glanced nervously toward the hill. The gorgons had taken off their green vests. Wings sprouted from their backs—small bat wings, which glinted like brass. Since when did they have **_****__**wings**_******?**

"Since always Kelp Head." Thalia said.

******Maybe they were ornamental. Maybe they were too small to get a gorgon into the air.**

"If only." Annabeth muttered.

******Then the two sisters leaped off the apartment building and soared toward him. **_****__**Great. Just great.**_******"Yes, a choice," June said, as if she were in no hurry. **

Annabeth let out a series of strangled words. When she couldn't make anything come out in a real sentence, she lifted her hands in front of her, and started making a strangling motion in the direction of the book, as if it were Hera.

******"You could leave me here at the mercy of the gorgons **

"Yes!" The demigods chorused.

******and go to the ocean. You'd make it there safely, I guarantee. The gorgons will be quite happy to attack me and let you go. In the sea, no monster would bother you. You could begin a new life, live to a ripe old age, and escape a great deal of pain and misery that is in your future." Percy was pretty sure he wasn't going to like the second option.**

"******Or?" "Or you could do a good deed for an old lady," she said. "Carry me to the camp with you." "Carry you?" Percy hoped she was kidding. Then June hiked up her skirts and showed him her swollen purple feet. "I can't get there by myself," she said. "Carry me to camp—across the highway, through the tunnel, across the river." Percy didn't know what river she meant, but it didn't sound easy.**

"Little Tiber." Jason provided when he remembered.

******June looked pretty heavy. The gorgons were only fifty yards away now—leisurely gliding toward him as if they knew the hunt was almost over. Percy looked at the old lady. "And I'd carry you to this camp because—?" "Because it's a kindness!" she said. "And if you don't, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed. Of course, you wouldn't remember them, so I suppose it won't matter. You'd be safe at the bottom of the sea.…" Percy swallowed.**

******The gorgons shrieked with laughter as they soared in for the kill. "If I go to the camp," he said, "will I get my memory back?""Eventually," June said. "But be warned, you will sacrifice much! You'll lose the mark of Achilles. **

Nico shot up from where he was laying on the floor he reread the line ten times to make sure he didn't read it wrong. "He's gonna lose the mark of Achilles?" he exclaimed.

"Nico," Thalia said. "We don't know that for a fact."

"Uh, yeah we do. His fatal flaw plus his want to find Annabeth and us again equals Percy taking Juno to Camp Jupiter."

"Camp Jupiter?" Thalia asked. Not once had she heard that name, nor the others.*****

"The Roman camp." Nico said. Then he realized his mistake. No one knew about his trips there, and Jason had yet to mention a name, so he tried to play it insane. He started mumbling seemingly to himself "It took me a year to convince him! A year!"

******You'll feel pain, misery, and loss beyond anything you've ever known. But you might have a chance to save your old friends and family, to reclaim your old life."**

"Nico's right." Grover said. "He'll go through pain and misery just to see us again."

"Damn that loyal freak." Thalia muttered.

******The gorgons were circling right overhead. They were probably studying the old woman, trying to figure out who the new player was before they struck. "What about those guards at the door?" Percy asked. June smiled. "Oh, they'll let you in, dear. You can trust those two. So, what do you say? Will you help a defenseless old woman?" Percy doubted June was defenseless.**

"You doubt correctly." Grover said.

******At worst, this was a trap. At best, it was some kind of test. Percy hated tests.**

"I would totally high-five him if he were here." Leo said.

******Since he'd lost his memory, his whole life was one big fill in-the-blank. He was_, from_. He felt like_, and if the monsters caught him, he'd be_.**

Everyone laughed as they mentally filled in Percy's life with random words.

******Then he thought about Annabeth, the only part of his old life he was sure about.**

Annabeth blushed and pulled the comforter tighter around her body as if it brought her closer to Percy.

******He **_****__**had **_******to find her. "I'll carry you." He scooped up the old woman. **

"Told you." Nico said.

"No one disagreed with you Death-Breath."

"Well no one agreed with me, Pine Cone Face."

"I did, actually." Grover pointed out.

******She was lighter than he expected. Percy tried to ignore her sour breath and her calloused hands clinging to his neck. **

Everyone shuddered. It was kind of like how someone just as to mention _nails on a chalkboard_ for someone to cringe.

******He made it across the first lane of traffic. A driver honked. Another yelled something that was lost in the wind.**

"Can I guess what was said?" Leo asked.

Piper looked at him. "No." Then added, "Shut up."

******Most just swerved and looked irritated, as if they had to deal with a lot of ratty teenagers carrying old hippie women across the freeway here in Berkeley.**

"California _is _pretty weird." Piper said. "And this is right next to a camp entrance, so people crossing the highway isn't unlikely."

******A shadow fell over him. **, ******Stheno called down gleefully, "Clever boy! Found a goddess to carry, did you?" A goddess? June cackled with delight, muttering, and "Whoops!" as a car almost killed them.**

"A car almost _kills_ them and all she says is 'Whoops'?" Annabeth asked angrily.

******Somewhere off to his left, Euryale screamed, "Get them! Two prizes are better than one!"**

******Percy bolted across the remaining lanes. Somehow he made it to the median alive. He saw the gorgons swooping down, cars swerving as the monsters passed overhead. He wondered what the mortals saw through the Mist—giant pelicans? ********Off course hang gliders? The wolf Lupa had told him that mortal minds could believe just about anything—except the truth. Percy ran for the door in the hillside. June got heavier with every step. Percy's heart pounded. His ribs ached. One of the guards yelled. The guy with the bow nocked an arrow. Percy shouted, "Wait!" But the boy wasn't aiming at him. The arrow flew over Percy's head. A gorgon wailed in pain. The second guard readied her spear, gesturing frantically at Percy to hurry.**

******Fifty feet from the door. Thirty feet. "Gotcha!" shrieked Euryale. Percy turned as an arrow thudded into her forehead. Euryale tumbled into the fast lane. A truck slammed into her and carried her backward a hundred yards, but she just climbed over the cab, pulled the arrow out of her head, and launched back into the air. Percy reached the door. "Thanks," he told the guards. "Good shot." "That should've killed her!" the archer protested. "Welcome to my world," Percy muttered. "Frank," the girl said. "Get them inside, quick! Those are gorgons."**

"Really?" Leo asked sarcastically. "I thought they were guinea pigs."

Annabeth choked down a laugh, which made her squeak. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy, but she just shook her head while smiling.

******"Gorgons?" The archer's voice squeaked. It was hard to tell much about him under the helmet, but he looked stout like a wrestler, maybe fourteen or fifteen. "Will the door hold them?" In Percy's arms, June cackled. "No, no it won't. **

"That's encouraging." Muttered Thalia pessimistically.

******Onward, Percy Jackson! Through the tunnel, over the river!" **

"And through the woods!" Grover added.

"To grandmother's house we go!" Leo added. The two speakers high-fived and received eye rolls from their friends.

******"Percy Jackson?" The female guard was darker-skinned, with curly hair sticking out the sides of her helmet. She looked younger than Frank—maybe thirteen.**

******Her sword scabbard came down almost to her ankle. Still, she sounded like she was the one in charge. "Okay, you're obviously a demigod. But who's the—?" She glanced at June. "Never mind. Just get inside. I'll hold them off." "Hazel," the boy said.**

"That name sounds familiar." Jason said.

Nico started freaking out it his head. Hazel was in this book. He tried his best to act like nothing was wrong.

"******Don't be crazy." "Go!" she demanded. Frank cursed in another language— was that Latin?—and opened the door.**

"******Come on!" Percy followed, staggering under the weight of the old lady, who was **_****__**definitely **_******getting heavier.**

******He didn't know how that girl Hazel would hold off the gorgons by herself, **

_He better not be underestimating her._ Nico thought to himself. _And she better not give him a diamond._

******but he was too tired to argue. The tunnel cut through solid rock, about the width and height of a school hallway. At first, it looked like a typical maintenance tunnel, with electric cables, warning signs, and fuse boxes on the walls, light bulbs in wire cages along the ceiling. As they ran deeper into the hillside, the cement floor changed to tiled mosaic. The lights changed to reed torches, which burned but didn't smoke. A few hundred yards ahead, Percy saw a square of daylight. The old lady was heavier now than a pile of sandbags. Percy's arms shook from the strain. June mumbled a song in Latin, like a lullaby, which didn't help Percy concentrate.**

"That damn woman and her damn lullabies!" Leo exclaimed

******Behind them, the gorgons' voices echoed in the tunnel. Hazel shouted. Percy was tempted to dump June and run back to help, but then the entire tunnel shook with the rumble of falling stone. There was a squawking sound, just like the gorgons had made when Percy had dropped a crate of bowling balls on them in Napa.**

******He glanced back. The west end of the tunnel was now filled with dust. "Shouldn't we check on Hazel?" he asked. "She'll be okay—I hope," Frank said. "She's good underground.**

_Hint number one._ Nico thought.

**Just**** keep moving! We're almost there.""Almost where?"June chuckled. "All roads lead there, child. You should know that.""Detention?" Percy asked.**

Everyone chuckled.

"******Rome, child," the old woman said. "Rome." Percy wasn't sure he'd heard her right. True, his memory was gone. His brain hadn't felt right since he had woken up at the Wolf House. But he was pretty sure Rome wasn't in California.**

"No shit, Fish Face."

******They kept running. The glow at the end of the tunnel grew brighter, and finally they burst into sunlight. Percy froze. Spread out at his feet was a bowl-shaped valley several miles wide. The basin floor was rumpled with smaller hills, golden plains, and stretches of forest. A small clear river cut a winding course from a lake in the center and around the perimeter, like a capital G. The geography could've been anywhere in northern California—live oaks and eucalyptus trees, gold hills and blue skies. That big inland mountain—what was it called, Mount Diablo?—rose in the distance, right where it should be. **

Jason smiled as he remembered the layout of his home.

******But Percy felt like he'd stepped into a secret world.**

******In the center of the valley, nestled by the lake, was a small city of white marble buildings with red-tiled roofs. Some had domes and columned porticoes, like national monuments. Others looked like palaces, with golden doors and large gardens. He could see an open plaza with freestanding columns, fountains, and statues. A five-story-tall Roman coliseum gleamed in the sun, next to a long oval arena like a racetrack. Across the lake to the south, another hill was dotted with even more impressive buildings—temples, Percy guessed. Several stone bridges crossed the river as it wound through the valley, and in the north, a long line of brickwork arches stretched from the hills into the town. Percy thought it looked like an elevated train track. Then he realized it must be an aqueduct. The strangest part of the valley was right below him. About two hundred yards away, just across the river, was some sort of military encampment. It was about a quarter mile square, with earthen ramparts on all four sides, the tops lined with sharpened spikes. Outside the walls ran a dry moat, also studded with spikes.**

"What's with you Romans and spikes?" Thalia asked.

Jason shrugged. "Our patron is Mars."

"Ares?" Annabeth clarified.

Jason nodded. "Yeah. You see how Clarrise and her siblings are with spikes. When you have a couple hundred kids following the god of war, you're gonna have a ton of spikes."

******corner, manned by sentries with oversized, mounted crossbows. Purple banners hung from the towers. A wide gateway opened on the far side of camp, leading toward the city. A narrower gate stood closed on the riverbank side. Inside, the fortress bustled with activity: dozens of kids going to and from barracks, carrying weapons, polishing armor. Percy heard the clank of hammers at a forge and smelled meat cooking over a fire. **

"The two best things ever." Leo said. "The smell of meat, and the sound of hammers."

******Something about this place felt very familiar, yet not quite right. **

******"Camp Jupiter," ********Frank said. "We'll be safe once—" Footsteps echoed in the tunnel behind them. Hazel burst into the light. She was covered with stone dust and breathing hard. She'd lost her helmet, so her curly brown hair fell around her shoulders. Her armor had long slash marks in front from the claws of a gorgon. One of the monsters had tagged her with a 50% off sticker.**

"I'm guessing it was Beano." Annabeth said. "She was in love with that front."

"But Euryale was the one with the stickers on her tusks." Piper added.

"That's true."

"******I slowed them down," she said. "But they'll be here any second." Frank cursed. "We have to get across the river." June squeezed Percy's neck tighter. "Oh, yes, please. I can't get my dress wet."**

******Percy bit his tongue. **

"That's new." Thalia said.

******If this lady was a goddess, she must've been the goddess of smelly, heavy, useless hippies.**

"Check, check, and check." Leo said.

******But he'd come this far. He'd better keep lugging her along. **_****__**It's a kindness,**_******she'd said. **_****__**And if you don't, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed. **_******If this was a test, he couldn't afford to get an F. He stumbled a few times as they ran for the river. Frank and Hazel kept him on his feet. They reached the riverbank, and Percy stopped to catch his breath. The current was fast, but the river didn't look deep. Only a stone's throw across stood the gates of the fort. "Go, Hazel." Frank nocked two arrows at once. "Escort Percy so the sentries don't shoot him.**

"They better not." Annabeth muttered.

_Or shoot and miss him and hit Hazel. _Nico added in his head.

******It's my turn to hold off the baddies." **

"'The baddies'?" Leo snickered.

"He makes them sound like they're coming from Mario Kart." Jason said.

******Hazel nodded and waded into the stream. Percy started to follow, but something made him hesitated. Usually he loved the water, but this river seemed…powerful, and not necessarily friendly. "The Little Tiber," said June sympathetically. "It flows with the power of the original Tiber, river of the empire. This is your last chance to back out, child. The mark of Achilles is a Greek blessing. You can't retain it if you cross into Roman territory. The Tiber will wash it away."**

"And from a river no less!" Nico exclaimed.

"Shut up and read." Piper said after everyone else's attempts failed to stop his muttering.

******Percy was too exhausted to understand all that, but he got the main point. "If I cross, I won't have iron skin anymore?" June smiled. "So what will it be? Safety, or a future of pain and possibility?" Behind him, the gorgons screeched as they flew from the tunnel. Frank let his arrows fly. From the middle of the river, Hazel yelled, "Percy, come on!" Up on the watchtowers, horns blew. The sentries shouted and swiveled their crossbows toward the gorgons. Annabeth, Percy thought. He forged into the river. It was icy cold, much swifter than he'd imagined, but that didn't bother him. New strength surged through his limbs. His senses tingled like he'd been injected with caffeine. He reached the other side and put the old woman down as the camp's gates opened. Dozens of kids in armor poured out.**

"Just in time." Annabeth and Nico muttered simultaneously.

******Hazel turned with a relieved smile. Then she looked over Percy's shoulder, and her expression changed to horror. "Frank!" Frank was halfway across the river when the gorgons caught him. They swooped out of the sky and grabbed him by either arm. He screamed in pain as their claws dug into his skin. The sentries yelled, but Percy knew they couldn't get a clear shot. They'd end up killing Frank. The other kids drew swords and got ready to charge into the water, but they'd be too late. There was only one way. Percy thrust out his hands. An intense tugging sensation filled his gut, and the Tiber obeyed his will. The river surged. Whirlpools formed on either side of Frank.**

"That's awesome." Leo decided.

******Giant watery hands erupted from the stream, copying Percy's movements.**

"Sometimes I wish I had Percy's powers." Thalia admitted.

"Why?" Jason asked.

"That is for me to know, and no one else to ever find out."

******The giant hands grabbed the gorgons, who dropped Frank in surprise. Then the hands lifted the squawking monsters in a liquid vise grip Percy heard the other kids yelping and backing away, but he stayed focused on his task.**

******He made a smashing gesture with his fists, and the giant hands plunged the gorgons into the Tiber. The monsters hit bottom and broke into dust. Glittering clouds of gorgon essence struggled to re-form, but the river pulled them apart like a blender. Soon every trace of the gorgons was swept downstream. The whirlpools vanished, and the current returned to normal.**

******Percy stood on the riverbank. His clothes and his skin steamed as if the Tiber's waters had given him an acid bath He felt exposed, raw…vulnerable.**

"A year to convince him! And it's gone, just like that!"

******In the middle of the Tiber, Frank stumbled around, looking stunned but perfectly fine. Hazel waded out and helped him ashore. Only then did Percy realize how quiet the other kids had become. Everyone was staring at him. Only the old lady June looked unfazed. "Well, that was a lovely trip," she said. "Thank you, Percy Jackson, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter." One of the girls made a choking sound. "Percy…Jackson?" She sounded as if she recognized his name.**

"Percy knew a Roman before this whole fiasco?" Thalia asked.

"You're one to speak." Annabeth said, gesturing to the other blonde in the room.

******Percy focused on her, hoping to see a familiar face. She was obviously a leader. She wore a regal purple cloak over her armor. Her chest was decorated with medals. She must have been about Percy's age, with dark, piercing eyes and long black hair.**

"I'll admit, she does sound familiar." Annabeth said.

******Percy didn't recognize her, but the girl stared at him as if she'd seen him in her nightmares. June laughed with delight. "Oh, yes. You'll have such fun together!" Then, just because the day hadn't been weird enough already, the old lady began to glow and change form.**

******She grew until she was a shining, seven-foot-tall goddess in a blue dress, with a cloak that looked like goat's skin over her shoulders. Her face was stern and stately. In her hand was a staff topped with a lotus flower.**

******If it was possible for the campers to look more stunned, they did. The girl with the purple cloak knelt. The others followed her lead. One kid got down so hastily he almost impaled himself on his sword.**

Everyone snickered.

******Hazel was the first to speak. "Juno." She and Frank also fell to their knees, leaving Percy the only one standing. He knew he should probably kneel too, but after carrying the old lady so far, he didn't feel like showing her that much respect.**

"Typical Percy." Grover said smiling.

"Typical?" Jason asked. "If this is his usual behavior, shouldn't he be dead by now?"

"Should be, but isn't" Thalia said. "I think they realize that one, without Percy, we'd all be dead, and two, even if we had miraculously survived without him, Poseidon would kill all their asses."

"******Juno, huh?" he said. "If I passed your test, can I have my memory and my life back?" The goddess smiled. "In time, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You've done well today, which is a good start. Perhaps there's hope for you yet." She turned to the other kids. "Romans, I present to you the son of Neptune. For months he has been slumbering, but now he is awake. His fate is in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle.**

"That better not translate to _kill him._" Annabeth said.

******Do not fail me!" Juno shimmered and disappeared. Percy looked at Hazel and Frank for some kind of explanation, but they seemed just as confused as he was. Frank was holding something Percy hadn't noticed before— two small clay flasks with cork stoppers, like potions, one in each hand.**

"Spoils of war?" Grover asked. Everyone shrugged.

******Percy had no idea where they'd come from, but he saw Frank slip them into his pockets. Frank gave him a look like: **_****__**We'll talk about it later.**_******The girl in the purple cloak stepped forward. She examined Percy warily, and Percy couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted to run him through with her dagger. "So," she said coldly, "a son of Neptune, who comes to us with the blessing of Juno." "Look," he said, "my memory's a little fuzzy. Um, it's **_****__**gone**_******, actually. Do I know you?" The girl hesitated. "I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion.**

"I know her." Jason decided.

******And…no, I don't know you." That last part was a lie. Percy could tell from her eyes.**

******But he also understood that if he argued with her about it here, in front of her soldiers, she wouldn't appreciate it.**

"That's a first."

******"Hazel," said Reyna, "bring him inside. I want to question him at the **_****__**principia**_******. Then we'll send him to Octavian. We must consult the auguries before we decide what to do with him."**

"******What do you mean," Percy asked, "'decide what to do with' me?"**

******Reyna's hand tightened on her dagger. Obviously she was not used to having her orders questioned. "Before we accept anyone into camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries. Juno said your fate is in our hands. We have to know whether the goddess has brought us as a new recruit.…" Reyna studied Percy as if she found that doubtful. "Or," she said more hopefully, "if she's brought us an enemy to kill."**

"Don't kill him." Annabeth pleaded.

"Chapter." Nico announced, then proceeded to toss the book into Grover's lap.

* * *

***I can't remember if they knew the name of the Roman camp at the end of Lost Hero. If they did, pretend they didn't.**

* * *

**YAY! Done with that chapter.**

**Q&A TIME!**

**Q: Are you gonna bring Percy when you have them read MoA?**

**A: Probably not. If I have them read MoA, they'll be on their way to New Rome. The campers will be reading to get an update on whats going on on th Argo II**

**NOTE:**

**I'm not gonna do shout outs anymore. It takes way too long on the iPad. Sorry**

**NEWS:**

**I saw _Oblivion_ today. It was awesome! I also kept seeing PJO moments in it. Like the main character was like Percy, and his partner could be Rachel or Calypso, and his love-interest would be Annabeth and- MY POINT IS IT WAS AWESOME AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!**

**Went to a Hawky game last night. Used my birthday money to get a really awesome baseball cap. Sat in possible puck-to-face seat for the first time. The Portland Winterhawks destroyed the Kamloop Blazers 4 to 1. At least six players got kicked off the ice. Amazing game. Hoping to go to another game before the season is over. GO WINTERHAWKS!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. Percy III

******Eight reviews plus one saying I've been reported again. You know, I can't help but notice, whenever someone else does something wrong, they nearly never get reported. But when I decide to do a similar thing, I get in trouble. The world isn't fair. And despite the reports, I'm going to keep doing this story until I'm kicked off the site. I will keep a document with this story in it and I will repost under a new name if I have to. To the people who don't like this, deal with it. Other people enjoy it, and that what matters to me. If you don't like it, don't read it. **

* * *

******Percy III**

******PERCY WASN'T SCARED OF GHOSTS, which was lucky.**

"I would hope not." Nico muttered.

******Half the people in camp were dead.**

"That's weird." Thalia said.

"No it's not!" Jason felt the need to defend his camp.

"Sorry Sparky, but it kind of is." Leo said.

"Um, it's not actually." Nico added.

"Well for someone who spends all of his spare time in the Underworld, probably not." Grover said.

Nico was about to say that wasn't what he meant, before he realized that was his cover for his trips to Camp Jupiter.

******Shimmering purple warriors stood outside the armory, polishing ethereal swords. Others hung out in front of the barracks. A ghostly boy chased a ghostly dog down the street. And at the stables, a big glowing red dude with the head of a wolf guarded a herd of…Were those unicorns?**

"Unicorns would be cool." Thalia said.

"You guys have pegasi." Jason countered.

"Not that you need one."

******None of the campers paid the ghosts much attention, but as Percy's entourage walked by, with Reyna in the lead and Frank and Hazel on either side, all the spirits stopped what they were doing and stared at Percy. A few looked angry. The little boy ghost shrieked something like "Greggus!" and turned invisible.**

"I'm pretty sure they didn't say 'Greggus'." Jason said.

Nico laughed inwardly. Percy was getting a similar treatment to the one he had gotten his first time at that camp.

******Percy wished he could turn invisible too. After weeks on his own, all this attention made him uneasy. He stayed between Hazel and Frank and tried to look inconspicuous. **

"To be fair," Annabeth said. "Having an unfamilliar face and following the camp leader around isn't exactly inconspicuous."

"And to have to that twice in your life." Grover said.

"What are you talking about?" Piper asked.

"Percy followed Chiron around the day he got to camp."

******"Am I seeing things?" he asked. "Or are those—" "Ghosts?" Hazel turned. She had startling eyes, like fourteen-karat gold. "They're Lares. House gods." "House gods," Percy said. "Like…smaller than real gods, but larger than apartment gods?"**

Every one laughed.

"******They're ancestral spirits," Frank explained. He'd removed his helmet, revealing a babyish face that didn't go with his military haircut or his big burly frame. He looked like a toddler who'd taken steroids and joined the Marines. **

"I definetly don't know him." Jason said.

"He sounds weird." Leo said.

Nico resisted the urge to say _he is_.

******"The Lares are kind of like mascots," he continued. "Mostly they're harmless, but I've never seen them so agitated." "They're staring at me," Percy said. "That ghost kid called me Greggus. My name isn't Greg."**

Morce chuckles sounded.

"_****__**Graecus," **_******Hazel said. "Once you've been here awhile, you'll start understanding Latin. Demigods have a natural sense for it. **

"Yeah, if you're Roman." Thalia muttered.

"Percy's picked up on it more than once." Annabeth said.

"Really?"

"He told a Fury to eat his pants once."

"I've caught him using a few colorful words in our dorm at Yancy." Grover added.

_****__**Graecus **_******means Greek."**

"******Is that bad?" Percy asked. **

"It better not be." Annabeth said, looking at Jason, challenging him to say otherwise.

"We're taught that it is, but I don't think that way anymore. And if my feelings are right, Percy will remember he is Greek, he'll share it, with the others, and all will be okay. Except for Octavian. He's an ass." Annabeth accepted his answer.

******Frank cleared his throat. "Maybe not. You've got that type of complexion, the dark hair and all. Maybe they think you're actually Greek. Is your family from there?" "Don't know. Like I said, my memory is gone." "Or maybe…" Frank hesitated. "What?" Percy asked. "Probably nothing," Frank said. "Romans and Greeks have an old rivalry. Sometimes Romans use **_****__**graecus **_******as an insult for someone who's an outsider—an enemy. ********I wouldn't worry about it." He sounded pretty worried. **

"Hypocrite."

******They stopped at the center of camp, where two wide stone-paved roads met at a T. A street sign labeled the road to the main gates as via praetoria. The other road, cutting across the middle of camp, was labeled via principalis. Under those markers were hand-painted signs like Berkeley 5 miles; NEW ROME 1 MILE; OLD ROME 7280 MILES; HADES 2310 MILES (pointing straight down)** ******; RENO 208 MILES, AND CERTAIN DEATH: YOU ARE HERE!**

"That's comforting." Annabeth said.

******For certain death, the place looked pretty clean and orderly. The buildings were freshly whitewashed, laid out in neat grids like the camp had been designed by a fussy math teacher. **

"Or someone like Annabeth." Thalia said remembering her time she had spent with Annabeth on Olympus. She freaked if one brick was lopsided.

"Shut up." Annabeth muttered knowing it was all true. By now, she had laid down on the bed, her head on Percy's pillow.

******The barracks had shady porches, where campers lounged in hammocks or played cards and drank sodas. Each dorm had a different collection of banners out front displaying Roman numerals and various animals—eagle, bear, wolf, horse, and something that looked like a hamster. Along the Via Praetoria, rows of shops advertised food, armor, weapons, coffee, gladiator equipment, and toga rentals. A chariot dealership had a big advertisement out front: CAESAR XLS W/ANTILOCK BRAKES, NO DENARII DOWN! **

"That sign has been up for over a year." Jason muttered. Piper was really happy for him, he was remmembering details of his past, but she was afraid a girlfriend would surface.

******At one corner of the crossroads stood the most impressive building—a two-story wedge of white marble with a columned portico like an old-fashioned bank.**

******Roman guards stood out front. Over the doorway hung a big purple banner with the gold letters SPQR embroidered inside a laurel wreath.**

"******Your headquarters?" Percy asked. Reyna faced him, her eyes still cold and hostile. "It's called the **_****__**principia."**_******She scanned the mob of curious campers who had followed them from the river. "Everyone back to your duties. I'll give you an update at evening muster. Remember, we have war games after dinner." The thought of dinner made Percy's stomach rumble. The scent of barbecue from the dining hall made his mouth water. The bakery down the street smelled pretty wonderful too, but he doubted Reyna would let him get an order to go. **

"Can we have lunch after this?" Grover asked.

"Then rean in Bunker Nine so I can work on the ship some more?" Leo added.

"Yeah." Annabeth decided.

******The crowd dispersed reluctantly. Some muttered comments about Percy's chances. "He's dead," said one. "Would be **_****__**those **_******two who found him," said another. "Yeah," muttered another. "Let him join the Fifth Cohort. Greeks and geeks."**

Jason muttered something unaudible. Probably about that last comment about the Fifth Cohort.

******Several kids laughed at that, but Reyna scowled at them, and they cleared off. "Hazel," Reyna said. "Come with us. I want your report on what happened at the gates." "Me too?" Frank said. "Percy saved my life. We've got to let him—" Reyna gave Frank such a harsh look, he stepped back. "I'd remind you, Frank Zhang," she said, "you are on **_****__**probatio **_******yourself. You've caused enough trouble this week." Frank's ears turned red. He fiddled with a little tablet on a cord around his neck. Percy hadn't paid much attention to it, but it looked like a name tag made out of lead. "Go to the armory," Reyna told him. "Check our inventory. I'll call you if I need you." "But—" Frank caught himself. "Yes, Reyna." He hurried off.**

******Reyna waved Hazel and Percy toward the headquarters. "Now, Percy Jackson, let's see if we can improve your memory." The **_****__**principia **_******was even more impressive inside. On the ceiling glittered a mosaic of Romulus and Remus under their adopted mama she-wolf (Lupa had told Percy that story a million times).**

"That sounds boring." Leo commented.

Jason shrugged. "It was pretty much my bedtime story growing up."

"Three Little Pigs." Thalia said seemingly random. Everyone turned to her in confusion. "That was your bedtime story until you were two. You wanted to be the second pig for Halloween that year. You asked me for Lincoln Logs for your birthday the year before."

"Aw. Jaon wanted to be the little piggy that made his house out of twigs." Leo teased in a babyish voice.

Jason elbowed him. "Shut up." His face was red.

"That's knda cute." Piper said. Then she turned to Thalia. "Why the second?"

"Because he didn't want to waste time building the brick house, but he didn't want to run really far to safety either." Thalia provided with a smile. Everyone was laughing at two year old Jason, and though he'd deny it later, Jason was too.

******The floor was polished marble. The walls were draped in velvet, so Percy felt like he was inside the world's most expensive camping tent. And wooden poles studded with bronze. Along the back wall stood a display of banners medals—military symbols, Percy guessed.**

"Good guess." Jason said.

******In the center was one empty display stand, as if the main banner had been taken down for cleaning or something. In the back corner, a stairwell led down. It was blocked by a row of iron bars like a prison door. Percy wondered what was down there—monsters? Treasure? Amnesiac demigods who had gotten on Reyna's bad side?**

"I think it's just prison cells." Jason said at the look Annabeth was giving him.

******In the center of the room, a long wooden table was cluttered with scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jelly beans, which seemed kind of out of place.** ******Two life-sized statues of greyhounds—one silver, one gold—flanked the table.**

******Reyna walked behind the table and sat in one of two high-backed chairs. Percy wished he could sit in the other, but Hazel remained standing. Percy got the feeling he was supposed to also. "So…" he started to say. The dog statues bared their teeth and growled. Percy froze. Normally he liked dogs, but these glared at him with ruby eyes. Their fangs looked sharp as razors. "Easy, guys," Reyna told the greyhounds. They stopped growling, but kept eyeing Percy as though they were imagining him in a doggie bag**

"******They won't attack," Reyna said, "unless you try to steal something, or unless I tell them to. That's Argentum and Aurum." "Silver and Gold," Percy said. The Latin meanings popped into his head like Hazel had said they would. **

"Or he's actually remembering my speech on the Periodic Table from when he had to memorize it for Chemistry." Annabeth said.

******He almost asked which dog was which. Then he realized that that was a stupid question.**

"Part of being a seaweed Brain." Annabeth says smiling.

******Reyna set her dagger on the table. Percy had the vague feeling he'd seen her before.**

******Her hair was black and glossy as volcanic rock, woven in a single braid down her back. She had the poise of a sword fighter—relaxed yet vigilant, as if ready to spring into action at any moment. The worry lines around her eyes made her look older than she probably was. "We **_****__**have **_******met," he decided. "I don't remember when. Please, if you can tell me anything—" "First things first," Reyna said. "I want to hear your story. What **_****__**do **_******you remember? How did you get here? And don't lie. My dogs don't like liars." Argentum and Aurum snarled to emphasize the point.**

******Percy told his story—how he'd woken up at the ruined mansion in the woods of Sonoma. **

"So, this is after our battle at the Wolf House?" Piper asked.

"If my math is right, yeah." Annabeth said. Leo said something similar at the same time too.

******He described his time with Lupa and her pack, learning their language of gestures and expressions, learning to survive and fight. Lupa had taught him about demigods, monsters, and gods. She'd explained that she was one of the guardian spirits of Ancient Rome. Demigods like Percy were still responsible for carrying on Roman traditions in modern times—fighting monsters, serving the gods, protecting mortals, and upholding the memory of the empire. She'd spent weeks training him, until he was as strong and tough and vicious as a wolf.**

"I don't like the sound of that." Annabeth muttered from inside her puffy blue cacoon.

******When she was satisfied with his skills, she'd sent him south, telling him that if he survived the journey, he might find a new home and regain his memory. None of it seemed to surprise Reyna. In fact, she seemed to find it pretty ordinary—except for one thing."No memory at all?" she asked. "You **_****__**still **_******remember nothing?" "Fuzzy bits and pieces." Percy glanced at the greyhounds. He didn't want to mention Annabeth.**

"He better not think she's an ex." Annabeth said.

******It seemed too private, and he was still confused about where to find her. He was sure they'd met at a camp—but this one didn't feel like the right place.**

******Also, he was reluctant to share his one clear memory: Annabeth's face, her blond hair and gray eyes, the way she laughed, threw her arms around him, and gave him a kiss whenever he did something stupid.**

******She must have kissed me a lot, Percy thought.**

******He feared that if he spoke about that memory to anyone, it would evaporate like a dream. He couldn't risk that. **

"That's a very acceptable answer." Annabeth said smiling and blushing.

******Reyna spun her dagger. "Most of what you're describing is normal for demigods. At a certain age, one way or another, we find our way to the Wolf House. We're tested and trained. If Lupa thinks we're worthy, she sends us south to join the legion. But I've never heard of someone losing his memory. How did you find Camp Jupiter?" Percy told her about the last three days—the gorgons who wouldn't die, the old lady who turned out to be a goddess, and finally meeting Hazel and Frank at the tunnel in the hill. Hazel took the story from there. She described Percy as brave and heroic, which made him uncomfortable. All he'd done was carry a hippie bag lady.**

"Wouldn't Hera _love_ knowing Percy thinks of her that way?" Grover asked. The other demigods laughed at that.

"Or the fact that we all think that way about her." Piper added.

******Reyna studied him. "You're old for a recruit. You're what, sixteen?" "I think so," Percy said. "If you spent that many years on your own, without training or help, you should be dead. A son of Neptune? You'd have a powerful aura that would attract all kinds of monsters." "Yeah," Percy said. "I've been told that I smell."Reyna almost cracked a smile, which gave Percy hope. Maybe she was human after all.**

"******You must've been somewhere before the Wolf House," she said. Percy shrugged. Juno had said something about him slumbering, and he **_****__**did **_******have a vague feeling that he'd been asleep—maybe for a long time. But that didn't make sense. Reyna sighed. "Well, the dogs haven't eaten you, so I suppose you're telling the truth." "Great," Percy said. "Next time, can I take a polygraph?"** ******Reyna stood. She paced in front of the banners. Her metal dogs watched her go back and forth. "Even if I accept that you're not an enemy," she said, "you're not a typical recruit. The Queen of Olympus simply doesn't appear at camp, announcing a new demigod. The last time a major god visited us in person like that…" She shook her head. "I've only heard legends about such things. And a son of Neptune…that's not a good omen. Especially now." "What's wrong with Neptune?" Percy asked. "And what do you mean, 'especially now'?" Hazel shot him a warning look. Reyna kept pacing. "You've fought Medusa's sisters, who haven't been seen in thousands of years. You've agitated our Lares, who are calling you a **_****__**graecus. **_******And you wear strange symbols—that shirt, the beads on your necklace. What do they mean?"**

"That he's Greek." Nico suggested.

"That purple's not his color." Piper said, her Aphrodite side showing.

******Percy looked down at his tattered orange T-shirt. It might have had words on it at one point, but they were too faded to read. He should have thrown the shirt away weeks ago. It was worn to shreds, but he couldn't bear to get rid of it. He just kept washing it in streams and water fountains as best he could and putting it back on. As for the necklace, the four clay beads were each decorated with a different symbol. One showed a trident. ********Another displayed a miniature Golden Fleece. ********The third was etched with the design of a maze, ********and the last had an image of a building— maybe the Empire State Building? — with names Percy didn't recognize engraved around it.**

Annabeth's fingers followed the beads on her necklace as they were mentioned, but they all drifted back to the one with the trident.

******The beads felt important, like pictures from a family album, but he couldn't remember what they meant.**

"******I don't know," he said. "And your sword?" Reyna asked. Percy checked his pocket. The pen had reappeared as it always did. He pulled it out, but then realized he'd never shown Reyna the sword. Hazel and Frank hadn't seen it either. How had Reyna known about it? Too late to pretend it didn't exist.… He uncapped the pen. Riptide sprang to full form. Hazel gasped. The greyhounds barked apprehensively. "What is that?" Hazel asked. "I've never seen a sword like that." "I have," Reyna said darkly. "It's very old—a Greek design. We used to have a few in the armory before…" She stopped herself.**

"Before what?" Piper asked Jason.

He shrugged. "I don't remember."

**"****The metal is called Celestial bronze. It's deadly to monsters, like Imperial gold, but even rarer." "Imperial gold?" Percy asked. Reyna unsheathed her dagger. Sure enough, the blade was gold. "The metal was consecrated in ancient times, at the Pantheon in Rome. Its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors—a way for their champions to slay monsters that threatened the empire. We used to have more weapons like this, but now…well, we scrape by. I use this dagger. Hazel has a **_****__**spatha, **_******a cavalry sword. Most legionnaires use a shorter sword called a **_****__**gladius. **_******But that weapon of yours is not Roman at all. It's another sign you're not a typical demigod. And your arm..." "What about it?" Percy asked. Reyna held up her own forearm. Percy hadn't noticed before, but she had a tattoo on the inside: the letters SPQR, a crossed sword and torch, and under that, four parallel lines like score marks. Percy glanced at Hazel. "We all have them," she confirmed, holding up her arm. "All full members of the legion do." Hazel's tattoo also had the letters SPQR, but she only had one score mark, and her emblem was different: a black glyph like a cross with curved arms and a head.**

"Pluto." Jason and Nico both said.

Everyone turned to Nico. On the inside, Nico was beating himself up for letting his tounge slip. "How would you know." Annabeth asked.

"I've been doing my research since this fiasco started." Nico said smoothly. Annabeth didn't look convinced, but she let it slide.

******" Percy looked at his own arms. A few scrapes, some mud, and a fleck of Crispy Cheese 'n' Wiener, but no tattoos. "So you've never been a member of the legion," Reyna said. "These marks can't be removed. I thought perhaps…" She shook her head, as if dismissing an idea. Hazel leaned forward. "If he's survived as a loner all this time, maybe he's seen Jason."**

"Hey look! I'm mentioned!"

******She turned to Percy. "Have you ever met a demigod like us before? A guy in a purple shirt, with marks on his arm—" "Hazel." Reyna's voice tightened. "Percy's got enough to worry about." Percy touched the point of his sword and Riptide shrank back into a pen. "I haven't seen anyone like you guys before. Who's Jason?" Reyna gave Hazel an irritated look. "He is…he **_****__**was **_******my colleague." **

"It's good to know my co-worler has faith in me." Jason said sarcastically.

******She waved her hand at the second empty chair. "The legion normally has two elected praetors. Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, was our other praetor until he disappeared last October."**

******Percy tried to calculate. He hadn't paid much attention to the calendar out in the wilderness, but Juno had mentioned that it was now June. "You mean he's been gone eight months, and you haven't replaced him?" "He might not be dead," Hazel said. **

"I wish I knew Hazel better." Jason said. "She has faith in me."

******"We haven't given up." Reyna grimaced. Percy got the feeling this guy Jason might've been more to her than just a colleague.**

Piper's fists clenched and her knuckles turned white. Jason didn't know weather to scoot closer and comfort her, or slide away to avoid her possible rage. He stayed neutral and didn't move. He grabbed her hand and massaged it open with his thumb, but she didn't totaly relax.

"******Elections only happen in two ways," Reyna said. "Either the legion raises someone on a shield after a major success on the battlefield—and we haven't had any major battles—or we hold a ballot on the evening of June 24, at the Feast of Fortuna. That's in five days." Percy frowned. "You have a feast for **_****__**tuna**_******?**_****__**"**_

"Seaweed Brain!"

"_****__**Fortuna," **_******Hazel corrected. "She's the goddess of luck. Whatever happens on her feast day can affect the entire rest of the year. She can grant the camp good luck…or **_****__**really **_******bad luck."**

******Reyna and Hazel both glanced at the empty display stand, as if thinking about what was missing. A chill went down Percy's back. "The Feast of Fortune…The gorgons mentioned that. So did Juno. They said the camp was going to be attacked on that day, something about a big bad goddess named Gaea, and an army, and Death being unleashed. You're telling me that day is this **_****__**week**_******?" Reyna's fingers tightened around the hilt of her dagger. "You will say nothing about that outside this room," she ordered. "I will not have you spreading more panic in the camp."**

"******So it's true," Percy said. "Do you know what's going to happen? Can we stop it?" Percy had just met these people. He wasn't sure he even liked Reyna. But he wanted to help. **

"Why can't he stop being so loyal?" Annabeth asked.

"Because he wouldn't be Percy." Thalia suggested.

******They were demigods, the same as him. They had the same enemies. Besides, Percy remembered what Juno had told him: it wasn't just this camp at risk. His old life, the gods, and the entire world might be destroyed. Whatever was coming down, it was huge.**

"******We've talked enough for now," Reyna said. "Hazel, take him to Temple Hill. Find Octavian. On the way you can answer Percy's questions. Tell him about the legion." "Yes, Reyna." Percy still had so many questions; his brain felt like it would melt. But Reyna made it clear the audience was over. She sheathed her dagger. The metal dogs stood and growled, inching toward Percy. "Good luck with the augury, Percy Jackson," she said. "If Octavian lets you live, perhaps we can compare notes…about your past."**

"Chapter." Grover announced.

"Food?" Leo asked.

The seven readers stood and went to the dining pavilion. They sat down and finished the meal period with their siblings. Afterwards, they all met at Bunker Nine.

Leo went on working on the Argo II. Jason and Nico sat by in case he needed any help. Annabeth, who had brought the blanket with her, was curled up on an old cot. Piper and Thalia sat on the future railing of the Argo II. Grover took a seat on a metal beam.

"The door isn't gonna close, is it?" He asked worriedly as he remembered his time in the Sea of Monsters.

"Probably not." Leo said. "Just don't tick Jason or Thalia off enough so that they have to use their creepy wind powers and we should be fine."

"Kay."

"Who's reading?"

"I will." Annabeth said picking up the book.

* * *

**Q&A TIME**

**Q:why is Nico there?**

**A: Because I wanted him to be. (Annabeth asked him 'cause he's Percy's friend, and she thinks he's freaking out about his whereabouts) (While, he is. He doesnt know where Percy is yet)**

**NEWS**

**I'm also working on a story about Annabeth after Tartarus. I will not start posting chapters until I've written the entire story, otherwise I know I'll give up on it in the middle. If I get ten reviews asking for it, I'll post a sneak peek in the Author's Note of the next chapter. **

**My best friend, who is a FanFiction writer (Tom Marvolo Riddle 2 (Yes, we did coordinate this)), has some awesome stories I would highly suggest reading. And no, I'm not being prejudice because she's my best friend. She truly is an amazing writer. **

**I got ribs for dinner last night! :D**

**I learned the guy who plays Captain America is also The Human Torch in _Fantastic Four_. I truly hope they consider making a _Fantastic Four_x_Avengers_/_Captain America_ crossover movie. That would be totally awesome. I can see it now, Human Torch and Captain America, long lost twins, or cloning experiment? Then you also got to have a one-on-one fight between The Hulk and The Thing.**

**Am hoping they won't change the actor playing The Hulk _again_. I really liked the one in _The Avengers_. i swear on Styx, if they recast The Hulk, I will kill someone. (Probably my imaginary friend Gary)**

**Learned one of the next movies following _The Avengers_ time line, is going to be _Ant Man_... That is all.**

**Reviews please?**


	5. Percy IV

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I have a band trip coming up, so I've been trying to raise my grades and earn spending money. Hopefully I'll beable to update the next chapters faster, but I can't gurentee anything. Please review when you're done!**

* * *

**Percy IV**

**ON THE WAY OUT OF CAMP, Hazel bought him an espresso drink and a cherry muffin from Bombilo the two-headed coffee merchant.**

"Headed, like a hydra, of headed like, Janus?" Piper asked.

"Like a hydra." Jason informed from where he was helping Leo with a few two by fours.

**Percy inhaled the muffin. The coffee was great. Now, Percy thought, if he could just get a shower, a change of clothes, and some sleep, he'd be golden. Maybe even Imperial golden.** **He watched a bunch of kids in swimsuits and towels head into a building that had steam coming out of a row of chimneys. Laughter and watery sounds echoed from inside, like it was an indoor pool—Percy's kind of place.**

"It's not like he's son of the sea god, or something." Thalia said.

"No shit, Sherlock." Nico yelled across the room.

"Fuck you, Watson."

"**Bath house," Hazel said. "We'll get you in there before dinner, hopefully. You haven't lived until you've had a Roman bath." Percy sighed with anticipation.**

**As they approached the front gate, the barracks got bigger and nicer. Even the ghosts looked better—with fancier armor and shinier auras. Percy tried to decipher the banners and symbols hanging in front of the buildings.**

"**You guys are divided into different cabins?" he asked.**

"**Sort of." Hazel ducked as a kid riding a giant eagle swooped overhead.**

"You guys get to ride eagles?" Leo asked, almost dropping a mallet from the rafters he was in.

"Yeah."

"**We have five cohorts of about forty kids each. Each cohort is divided into barracks of ten—like roommates, kind of."**

**Percy had never been great at math, but he tried to multiply.**

"Good luck with that." Grover said.

"**You're telling me there's two hundred kids at camp?"**

"He did it." Annabeth said in feigned disbelief.

"**Roughly."**

"**And **_**all **_**of them are children of the gods? The gods have been busy."**

"Yeah. Doing nothing up on Olympus." Grover muttered.

**Hazel laughed. "Not all of them are children of **_**major **_**gods. There are hundreds of minor Roman gods. Plus, a lot of the campers are legacies—second or third generation. Maybe their parents were demigods. Or their grandparents."**

"Kids?" Annabeth asked in disbelief.

**Percy blinked. "Children of demigods?"**

"**Why? Does that surprise you?"**

"Yes." The Greeks chorused.

**Percy wasn't sure. The last few weeks he'd been so worried about surviving day to day. The idea of living long enough to be an adult and have kids of his own—that seemed like an impossible dream.**

"**These Legos—"**

"Did he just say legos?" Jason asked.

"Yeah." Annabeth confirmed after re-reading the line.

"**Legacies," Hazel corrected.**

"**They have powers like a demigod?"**

"**Sometimes. Sometimes not. But they can be trained. All the best Roman generals and emperors—you know, they all claimed to be descended from gods. Most of the time, they were telling the truth. The camp augur we're going to meet, Octavian, he's a legacy, descendant of Apollo. He's got the gift of prophecy, supposedly."**

"Percy's fate is in his hands?" Annabeth asked aloud. "That's not very comforting."

_Supposedly, or supposedly like Hal?_ Thalia wondered.*

"**Supposedly?"**

**Hazel made a sour face. "You'll see."**

**That didn't make Percy feel so great, if this dude Octavian had Percy's fate in his hands.**

"**So the divisions," he asked, "the cohorts, whatever—you're divided according to who your godly parent is?"**

**Hazel stared at him. "What a horrible idea! No, the officers decide where to assign recruits. If we were divided according to god, the cohorts would be all uneven. I'd be alone."**

"It is a horrible idea." Grover said. "Big three kids are always alone."

"Actually it's a great idea." Jason said. "Besides that part of course. Rooming with siblings demotes innapropriate behavior. We almost lost our side of the war because we had tons of girls on maternity leave."

**Percy felt a twinge of sadness, like he'd been in that situation. "Why? What's your ancestry?"**

**Before she could answer, someone behind them yelled, "Wait!"**

**A ghost ran toward them—an old man with a medicine-ball belly and toga so long he kept tripping on it. He caught up to them and gasped for air, his purple aura flickering around him.**

"Why would a ghost gasp for air?" Leo asked.

"Habit maybe. This guy probably died with weak lungs, so his lungs followed him to the Underworld." Nico suggested.

"**This is him?" the ghost panted. "A new recruit for the Fifth, perhaps?"**

"**Vitellius," Hazel said, "we're sort of in a hurry."**

**The ghost scowled at Percy and walked around him, inspecting him like a used car. "I don't know," he grumbled. "We need only the best for the cohort. Does he have all his teeth? Can he fight? Does he clean stables?"**

"**Yes, yes, and no," Percy said.**

"I disagree with that statement." Nico said. "If I remember correctly, he was very good at cleaning the stables at Triple G."

"We were in danger." Annabeth said. "Put his loved ones in danger, Percy becomes a master of everything."

"What about master of _not_ pissing the gods off?" Grover asked.

"I'd certainly hope so."

"**Who are you?"**

"**Percy, this is Vitellius." Hazel's expression said: **_**Just humor him. **_**"He's one of our Lares; takes an interest in new recruits."**

**On a nearby porch, other ghosts snickered as Vitellius paced back and forth, tripping over his toga and hiking up his sword belt.**

"**Yes," Vitellius said, "back in Caesar's day—that's **_**Julius **_**Caesar, mind you—the Fifth Cohort was something! Twelfth Legion Fulminata, pride of Rome! But these days? Disgraceful what we've come to. Look at Hazel here, using a **_**spatha.**_**Ridiculous weapon for a Roman legionnaire—that's for cavalry! And you, boy—you smell like a Greek sewer. ****Haven't you had a bath?"**

"I think he's been a little busy." Thalia said.

"**I've been a little busy fighting gorgons," Percy said. "Vitellius," Hazel interrupted, "we've got to get Percy's augury before he can join. Why don't you check on Frank? He's in the armory doing inventory. You **_**know**_** how much he values your help." The ghost's furry purple eyebrows shot up. "Mars Almighty! They let the **_**probation**_** check the armor? We'll be ruined!"**

"You forget to polish one breastplate." Jason muttered to himself.

**He stumbled off down the street, stopping every few feet to pick up his sword or rearrange his toga.**

"**O-h-h-kay," Percy said.**

"**Sorry," Hazel said. "He's eccentric, but he's one of the oldest Lares. Been around since the legion was founded."**

"**He called the legion…**_**Fulminata?" **_**Percy said.**

"Jason! What does that mean?" Leo asked.

Annabeth took a look at the next line. "If you'd let me keep reading, you'd find out!" Leo mumbled an apology.

"'**Armed with Lightning,'" Hazel translated. "That's our motto. The Twelfth Legion was around for the entire Roman Empire. When Rome fell, a lot of legions just disappeared. We went underground, acting on secret orders from Jupiter himself: stay alive, recruit demigods and their children, keep Rome going. We've been doing that ever since, moving around to wherever Roman influence was strongest. The last few centuries, we've been in America."**

**As bizarre as that sounded, Percy had no trouble believing it. In fact, it sounded familiar, like something he'd always known.**

"If by 'always' you mean the last five years, sure." Thalia said.

"**And you're in the Fifth Cohort," he guessed, "which maybe isn't the most popular?"**

"The least."

**Hazel scowled. "Yeah. I joined up last September."**

"**So…just a few weeks before that guy Jason disappeared."**

"Note to self," Jason said. "Get to know Hazel better."

**Percy knew he'd hit a sore spot. Hazel looked down. She was silent long enough to count every paving stone.**

"**Come on," she said at last. "I'll show you my favourite view."**

**They stopped outside the main gates. The fort was situated on the highest point in the valley, so they could see pretty much everything.**

**The road led down to the river and divided. One path led south across a bridge, up to the hill with all the temples. The other road led north into the city, a miniature version of Ancient Rome. Unlike the military camp, the city looked chaotic and colorful, with buildings crowded together at haphazard angles. Even from this far away, Percy could see people gathered in the plaza, shoppers milling around an open-air market, parents with kids playing in the parks.**

Jason almost dropped the bronze beam he was helping Leo carry because of the headache he got from his memories coming back at the speed they were.

"**You've got families here?" he asked.**

"**In the city, absolutely," Hazel said. "When you're accepted into the legion, you do ten years of service. After that, you can muster out whenever you want. Most demigods go into the mortal world. But for some—well, it's pretty dangerous out there. This valley is a sanctuary. You can go to college in the city, get married, have kids, retire when you get old. It's the only safe place on earth for people like us. **

"I beg to differ." Piper said.

**So yeah, a lot of veterans make their homes there, under the protection of the legion." Adult demigods. Demigods who could live without fear, get married, raise a family. Percy couldn't quite wrap his mind around that. It seemed too good to be true.**

"Maybe cause you're Greek."

"**But if this valley is attacked?"**

**Hazel pursed her lips. "We have defences. The borders are magical. But our strength isn't what it used to be. Lately, the monster attacks have been increasing. What you said about the gorgons not dying… we've noticed that too, with other monsters."**

"So have we!" Leo added.

"**Do you know what's causing it?" Hazel looked away. Percy could tell that she was holding something back—something she wasn't supposed to say.**

"**It's—it's complicated," she said. "My brother says Death isn't—"**

Nico groaned inwardly. He was mentioned. A name better not be given.

"I thought she said she'd be alone in our sleeping arrangements." Thalia said.

"She would be." Jason said. "But I do remember that she had a brother." He glanced at Nico. No one noticed.

**She was interrupted by an elephant.**

"The metaphorical kind?" Piper asked.

"No. A real elephant." Jason and Leo both said. Jason said it seriously, Leo was using sarcasm.

**Someone behind them shouted, "Make way!"**

**Hazel dragged Percy out of the road as a demigod rode past on a full-grown pachyderm covered in black Kevlar armor. The word elephant was printed on the side of his armor, which seemed a little obvious to Percy.**

"Well, knowing Percy, he might've thought it was a turtle." Grover said.

**The elephant thundered down the road and turned north, heading toward a big open field where some fortifications were under construction.**

"Fields of Mars." Jason muttered. "War Games."

**Percy spit dust out of his mouth.**

"**What the—?"**

"**Elephant," Hazel explained.**

"Nice explanation." Leo observed sarcastically.

"**Yeah, I read the sign. Why do you have an elephant in a bulletproof vest?"**

"**War games tonight," Hazel said. "That's Hannibal. If we didn't include him, he'd get upset."**

"**We can't have that."**

**Hazel laughed. It was hard to believe she'd looked so moody a moment ago. Percy wondered what she'd been about to say. She had a brother.**

Jason shot Nico a questioning look, but Nico didn't respond. He pretended not to notice.

**Yet she had claimed she'd be alone if the camp sorted her by her godly parent.**

"Percy picked up on that?" Thalia asked surprised.

**Percy couldn't figure her out. She seemed nice and easy going, mature for somebody who couldn't have been more than thirteen. But she also seemed to be hiding a deep sadness, like she felt guilty about something.**

"Do you think there are any demigods that don't feel guilty about something?" Leo asked. Everyone shook their heads.

**Hazel pointed south across the river. Dark clouds were gathering over Temple Hill. Red flashes of lightning washed the monuments in blood-colored light. "Octavian is busy," Hazel said. "We'd better get over there."**

**On the way, they passed some goat-legged guys hanging out on the side of the road.**

Grover looked up, excited to see what the Roman satyrs, fauns, were like.

"**Hazel!" one of them cried.**

**He trotted over with a big grin on his face. He wore a faded Hawaiian shirt and nothing for pants except thick brown goat fur. His massive Afro jiggled. His eyes were hidden behind little round rainbow tinted glasses. He held a cardboard sign that read: Will WORK SING TALK go away for denarii.**

"The Roman fauns panhandle?" Grover asked in disbelief.

Leo started laughing his elfish laugh. "That's funny! They're satyrs, and their god is Pan, and they Panhandle." He stopped laughing when he noticed no one was joining him. "Tough crowd." He muttered.

"**Hi, Don," Hazel said. "Sorry, we don't have time—"**

"Don the faun?" Piper asked.

"**Oh, that's cool! That's cool!" Don trotted along with them. "Hey, this guy's new!" He grinned at Percy. "Do you have three denarii for the bus? Because I left my wallet at home, and I've got to get to work, and—"**

"**Don," Hazel chided. "Fauns don't have wallets. Or jobs. Or homes. And we don't have buses."**

"They should at least have jobs and a wallet." Grover muttered.

"**Right," he said cheerfully, "but do you have denarii?"**

"**Your name is Don the Faun?" Percy asked.**

"**Yeah. So?"**

"**Nothing." Percy tried to keep a straight face. "Why don't fauns have jobs? Shouldn't they work for the camp?"**

"Yes!"

**Don bleated. "Fauns! Work for the camp! Hilarious!"**

"No it's not..." Grover muttered.

"**Fauns are, um, free spirits," Hazel explained. "They hang out here because, well, it's a safe place to hang out and beg. We tolerate them, but—"**

"**Oh, Hazel is awesome," Don said. "She's so nice! All the other campers are like, 'Go away, Don.' But she's like, 'Please go away, Don.' I love her!"**

**The faun seemed harmless, but Percy still found him unsettling. He couldn't shake the feeling that fauns should be more than just homeless guys begging for denarii. **

"He remembers something other than Annabeth." Thalia said hoping to lighten Grover and Nico's moods.

"He remembered my job." Grover said. "I guess that's a good thing." He didn't sound so sure.

**Don looked at the ground in front of them and gasped. "Score!"**

**He reached for something, but Hazel screamed, "Don, no!"**

Nico sighed. She still has that problem in the future.

**She pushed him out of the way and snatched up a small shiny object. Percy caught a glimpse of it before Hazel slipped it into her pocket. He could have sworn it was a diamond.**

"**Come on, Hazel," Don complained. "I could've bought a year's worth of doughnuts with that!"**

"**Don, please," Hazel said. "Go away."**

"Aw, she does say please." Leo said.

**She sounded shaken, like she'd just saved Don from a charging bulletproof elephant.**

"Nope. Something worse." Nico said under his breath.

**The faun sighed. "Aw, I can't stay mad at you. But I swear, it's like you're good luck. Every time you walk by—"**

"Yeah. _Good_ luck."

"**Good-bye, Don," Hazel said quickly.**

"**Let's go, Percy."**

**She started jogging. Percy had to sprint to catch up.**

"**What was that about?" Percy asked. "That diamond in the road—"**

"**Please," she said. "Don't ask."**

"And don't ever pick one up." Nico added silently.

**They walked in uneasy silence the rest of the way to Temple Hill. A crooked stone path led past a crazy assortment of tiny altars and massive domed vaults. Statues of gods seemed to follow Percy with their eyes.**

"Like the Mona Lisa." Leo said. "She's really creepy."

**Hazel pointed out the Temple of Bellona. "Goddess of war," she said. "That's Reyna's mom." Then they passed a massive red crypt decorated with human skulls on iron spikes.**

"**Please tell me we're not going in there," Percy said.**

**Hazel shook her head. "That's the Temple of Mars Ultor."**

"**Mars ... Ares, the war god?"**

"**That's his Greek name," Hazel said. "But, yeah, same guy. Ultor means 'the Avenger.' He's the second-most important god of Rome."**

"Percy probably doesn't like that." Thalia said.

**Percy wasn't thrilled to hear that. **

"I knew it."

**For some reason, just looking at the ugly red building made him feel angry.**

"I wonder why." Grover said sarcastically.

**He pointed toward the summit. Clouds swirled over the largest temple, a round pavilion with a ring of white columns supporting a domed roof. "I'm guessing that's Zeus—uh, I mean, Jupiter's? That's where we're heading?"**

"Oh he'll just love that." Nico said. Note the sarcasm.

"**Yeah." Hazel sounded edgy. "Octavian reads auguries there—the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus."**

**Percy had to think about it, but the Latin words clicked into English.**

"**Jupiter…the best and the greatest?"**

"**Right."**

"**What's Neptune's title?" Percy asked. "The coolest and most awesome?"**

"I don't think that's it." Annabeth said.

"He's gonna be severely disappointed." Jason muttered.

"**Um, not quite." Hazel gestured to a small blue building the size of a tool shed. A cobweb-covered trident was nailed above the door.**

"Neptunus Equester" Jason said remembering.

**Percy peeked inside. On a small altar sat a bowl with three dried-up, moldy apples.**

**His heart sank. "Popular place."**

"**I'm sorry, Percy," Hazel said. "It's just…Romans were always scared of the sea. They only used ships if they **_**had **_**to. Even in modern times, having a child of Neptune around has always been a bad omen. The last time one joined the legion …well, it was 1906, when Camp Jupiter was located across the bay in San Francisco. There was this huge earthquake—"**

"**You're telling me a child of Neptune caused that?"**

"**So they say." Hazel looked apologetic.**

"**Anyway…Romans fear Neptune, but they don't love him much." Percy stared at the cobwebs on the trident. Great, he thought. Even if he joined the camp, he would never be loved. His best hope was to be scary to his new campmates. Maybe if he did really well, they'd give him some moldy apples.**

Everyone felt bad for Percy. First he's not suppose to exist, and now, nobody is suppose to like him.

**Still…standing at Neptune's altar, he felt something stirring inside him, like waves rippling through his veins.**

**He reached in his backpack and dug out the last bit of food from his trip—a stale bagel. It wasn't much, but he set it on the altar.**

"**Hey…uh, Dad." He felt pretty stupid talking to a bowl of fruit. "If you can hear me, help me out, okay? Give me my memory back. Tell me—tell me what to do."**

**His voice cracked. He hadn't meant to get emotional, but he was exhausted and scared, and he'd been lost for so long, he would've given anything for some guidance. He wanted to know something about his life for sure, without grabbing for missing memories.**

**Hazel put her hand on his shoulder.**

"**It'll be okay. You're here now. You're one of us." He felt awkward, depending on an eighth-grade girl he barely knew for comfort, but he was glad she was there.**

"He's not one of you!" Grover yelled.

"But I want him here." Annabeth moaned, barely holding back tears. Thalia had to take the book from her because she was getting too emotional.

**Above them, thunder rumbled. Red lightning lit up the hill.**

"**Octavian's almost done," Hazel said.**

"Done with what?" Leo asked. Everyone shrugged.

"**Let's go."**

**Compared to Neptune's tool shed, Jupiter's temple was definitely optimus and maximus. The marble floor was etched with fancy mosaics and Latin inscriptions. Sixty feet above, the domed ceiling sparkled gold. The whole temple was open to the wind.**

**In the centre stood a marble altar, where a kid in a toga was doing some sort of ritual in front of a massive golden statue of the big dude himself: Jupiter the sky god, dressed in a silk XXXL purple toga, holding a lightning bolt.**

"**It doesn't look like that," Percy muttered.**

"He remembers?" Grover asked mostly to himself.

"**What?" Hazel asked.**

"**The master bolt," Percy said.**

"He remembers!" Grover repeated, more in a statement this time.

"**What are you **_**talking **_**about?"**

"**I—" Percy frowned. For a second, he'd thought he remembered something. Now it was gone. "Nothing, I guess."**

Annabeth let out a sound of exasperation.

**The kid at the altar raised his hands. More red lightning flashed in the sky, shaking the temple. Then he put his hands down, and the rumbling stopped. The clouds turned from gray to white and broke apart. A pretty impressive trick, considering the kid didn't look like much. He was tall and skinny, with straw-colored hair, oversized jeans, a baggy T-shirt, and a drooping toga. He looked like a scarecrow wearing a bed sheet.**

"That's weird." Nico commented to try and keep up his facade.

"**What's he doing?" Percy murmured.**

**The guy in the toga turned. He had a crooked smile and a slightly crazy look in his eyes, ****like he'd just been playing an intense video game. In one hand he held a knife. In the other hand was something like a dead animal. That didn't make him look any less crazy.**

"He's killing animals?" Grover asked in disgust.

"**Percy," Hazel said, "this is Octavian."**

"**The **_**graecus**_**!" Octavian announced. **"**How interesting."**

"**Uh, hi," Percy said. "Are you killing small animals?"**

**Octavian looked at the fuzzy thing in his hand and laughed. "No, no. Once upon a time, yes. We used to read the will of the gods by examining animal guts—chickens, goats, that sort of thing. Nowadays, we use these."**

**He tossed the fuzzy thing to Percy. It was a disemboweled teddy bear. Then Percy noticed that there was a whole pile of mutilated stuffed animals at the foot of Jupiter's statue.**

"I guess that's a little better."

"**Seriously?" Percy asked.**

"Yes." Jason said.

**Octavian stepped off the dais. He was probably about eighteen, but so skinny and sickly pale, he could've passed for younger.**

**At first he looked harmless, but as he got closer, Percy wasn't so sure. Octavian's eyes glittered with harsh curiosity, like he might gut Percy just as easily as a teddy bear if he thought he could learn something from it.**

"If this kid guts Percy, I swear on Styx I'm gonna track him down and gut him with my bare hands." Annabeh said.

"Can I help?" Grover asked.

"You most certainly can, but I get first go at it."

"I might just gut him anyway." Jason said. Nico was thinking the same thing.

**Octavian narrowed his eyes. "You seem nervous."**

"**You remind me of someone," Percy said. "I can't remember who." **

"Rachel?" Leo asked.

"I think he looks like Luke." Thalia muttered quiet enough so Annabeth wouldn't hear.

**"Possibly my namesake, Octavian— Augustus Caesar. Everyone says I bear a remarkable resemblance."**

"That's defiantly who he's thinking of." Nico said sarcastically.

**Percy didn't think that was it, but he couldn't pin down the memory. "Why did you call me 'the Greek'?"**

"**I saw it in the auguries." Octavian waved his knife at the pile of stuffing on the altar. "The message said: **_**The Greek has arrived. **_**Or possibly: **_**The goose has cried.**_ **I'm thinking the first interpretation is correct. **

"No shit."

**You seek to join the legion?"**

"NO!" Annabeth said.

**Hazel spoke for him. She told Octavian everything that had happened since they met at the tunnel—the gorgons, the fight at the river, the appearance of Juno, their conversation with Reyna.**

**When she mentioned Juno, Octavian looked surprised.**

"**Juno," he mused. "We call her Juno Moneta. Juno the Warner. She appears in times of crisis, to counsel Rome about great threats."**

"Which means you guys have to interact with her more." Thalia said. Jason scowled, knowing that was true.

**He glanced at Percy, as if to say: **_**like mysterious Greeks, for instance.**_

Annabeth by now had returned to her blue cocoon. Her hands were balled into fists.

"**I hear the Feast of Fortuna is this week," Percy said. "The gorgons warned there'd be an invasion on that day. Did you see that in your stuffing?"**

Leo snorted. "Stuffing."

"**Sadly, no." Octavian sighed. "The will of the gods is hard to discern. And these days, my vision is even darker."**

"**Don't you have…I don't know," Percy said, "an oracle or something?"**

"**An oracle!" Octavian smiled. "What a cute idea.**

"Rachel would appreciate that." Annabeth muttered. "I should've invited her. Remind me next brake."

**No, I'm afraid we're fresh out of oracles. ****Now, if we'd gone questing for the Sibylline books, like I recommended—"**

"**The Siba-what?" Percy asked.**

"**Books of prophecy," Hazel said, "which Octavian is **_**obsessed **_**with. Romans used to consult them when disasters happened. Most people believe they burned up when Rome fell."**

"_**Some **_**people believe that," Octavian corrected. "Unfortunately our present leadership won't authorize a quest to look for them—"**

"**Because Reyna isn't stupid," Hazel said. **

**"—so we have only a few remaining scraps from the books," Octavian continued.**

"**A few mysterious predictions, like these." He nodded to the inscriptions on the marble floor. Percy stared at the lines of words, not really expecting to understand them. He almost choked.**

"Why?"

"**That one." He pointed, translating as he read aloud: **_**"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall**_**—**_**"**_

"**Yes, yes." Octavian finished it without looking: **_**"An oath to keep with a final breath and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."**_

"Why is it chiseled into the floor?" Annabeth asked. Jason shrugged.

"**I—I know that one." Percy thought thunder was shaking the temple again. Then he realized his whole body was trembling. "That's **_**important.**_**"**

**Octavian arched an eyebrow. "Of course it's important. We call it the Prophecy of Seven, but it's several thousand years old.**

"Did he just say several _thousand_?" Thalia asked.

"Yep." Nico said.

**We don't know what it means. Every time someone tries to interpret it…Well, Hazel can tell you. Bad things happen."**

"I hope this is the right time, and not some other prophecy." Grover muttered. He didn't want five of his friends to get hurt.

**Hazel glared at him. "Just read the augury for Percy. Can he join the legion or not?"**

"What happens if he can't?" Annabeth asked, not really wanting to know.

"He dies." Jason said, hoping for a not bad reaction from Annabeth. She just clenched her jaw and tried to stay calm.

**Percy could almost see Octavian's mind working, calculating whether or not Percy would be useful. He held out his hand for Percy's backpack. "That's a beautiful specimen. May I?"**

"What?"

**Percy didn't understand what he meant, but Octavian snatched the Bargain Mart panda pillow that was sticking out of the top of his pack. It was just a silly stuffed toy, but Percy had carried it a long way. He was kind of fond of it.**

**Octavian turned toward the altar and raised his knife.**

"NO!" Leo yelled.

"**Hey!" Percy protested.**

**Octavian slashed open the panda's belly and poured its stuffing over the altar.**

"Rest in pieces, Percy's Pillow Pet." Leo said solemnly. "You will be remembered."

**He tossed the panda carcass aside, muttered a few words over the fluff, and turned with a big smile on his face. "Good news!" he said. "Percy may join the legion. We'll assign him a cohort at evening muster. Tell Reyna that I approve."**

"Because they care about _your_ approval." Nico said.

**Hazel's shoulders relaxed. "Uh…great. Come on, Percy."**

"**Oh, and Hazel," Octavian said. "I'm happy to welcome Percy into the legion. But when the election for praetor comes up, I hope you'll remember—"**

"**Jason **_**isn't **_**dead," Hazel snapped.**

"No I am not!"

"**You're the augur. You're supposed to be looking for him!"**

"**Oh, I am!" Octavian pointed at the pile of gutted stuffed animals. **

"Sure."

**"I consult the gods every day! Alas, after eight months, I've found nothing. Of course, I'm still looking. But if Jason doesn't return by the Feast of Fortuna, we must act. We can't have a power vacuum any longer. I hope you'll support me for praetor. It would mean so much to me."**

**Hazel clenched her fists. "Me. Support. You?"**

"Don't do it!" Jason and Nico yelled. No one looked at Nico weird 'cause they were thinking the same thing.

**Octavian took off his toga, setting it and his knife on the altar. Percy noticed seven lines on Octavian's arm—seven years of camp, Percy guessed. Octavian's mark was a harp, the symbol of Apollo.**

"**After all," Octavian told Hazel, "I might be able to help you. It would be a shame if those awful rumors about you kept circulating…or, gods forbid, if they turned out to be true."**

Nico ground his teeth together, but kept silent.

**Percy slipped his hand into his pocket and grabbed his pen. This guy was blackmailing Hazel. That was obvious. One sign from Hazel, and Percy was ready to bust out Riptide and see how Octavian liked being at the other end of a blade.**

**Hazel took a deep breath. Her knuckles were white. "I'll think about it."**

"**Excellent," Octavian said. "By the way, your brother is here."**

Nico's eyes widened. So much for keeping it a secret. He looked around for a large shadow, but the well lit bunker left few shadows. The closest one he'd fit through, was over ten meters away. Annabeth could get there and back before he could get there and Shadow Travel.

**Hazel stiffened. "My brother? Why?" Octavian shrugged. "Why does your brother do **_**anything**_**? He's waiting for you at your father's shrine. Just…ah, don't invite him to stay too long. He has a disturbing effect on the others.**

"Like I care." Nico muttered.

**Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to keep searching for our poor lost friend, Jason. Nice to meet you, Percy."**

**Hazel stormed out of the pavilion, and Percy followed. He was sure he'd never been so glad to leave a temple in his life. As Hazel marched down the hill, she cursed in Latin. Percy didn't understand all of it, but he got **_**son of a gorgon**_**, **_**power hungry snake**_**, and a few choice suggestions about where Octavian could stick his knife.**

"I like this girl." Leo said. "She's awesome."

_And way out of your __league_. Nico thought.

"**I **_**hate **_**that guy," she muttered in English. "If I had my way—"**

"**He won't really get elected praetor, will he?" Percy asked.**

"He better not." Jason said.

Thalia's eyes skimmed the page ahead. When she saw four words at the bottom. "Grover," she said. "Could you take this and make sure I'm reading this right? I think my dyslexia might be acting up."

Grover got up. "Sure." he said warily. He was afraid of what she was seeing. Thalia pointed to the line, he glanced at Nico, and told her if she was probably reading it right if she wanted to strangle him. She glanced up at Nico, who was trying to look inconspicuous, then returned her eyes to the page. With a tight voice and a semi-clenched jaw, she continued.

"**I wish I could be certain. Octavian has a lot of friends, most of them **_**bought**_**. ****The rest of the campers are afraid of him."**

"**Afraid of that skinny little guy?"**

"**Don't underestimate him. Reyna's not so bad by herself, but if Octavian shares her power…" Hazel shuddered. "Let's go see my brother. He'll want to meet you."**

_No I won't._

**Percy didn't argue. He wanted to meet this mysterious brother, maybe learn something about Hazel's background— who her dad was, what secret she was hiding. Percy couldn't believe she'd done anything to be guilty about. She seemed too nice. But Octavian had acted like he had some first-class dirt on her.**

"He has first-class dirt on everyone." Jason muttered.

**Hazel led Percy to a black crypt built into the side of the hill. Standing in front was a teenage boy in black jeans and an aviator jacket.**

Annabeth looked up.

"**Hey," Hazel called. "I've brought a friend."**

**The boy turned. Percy had another one of those weird flashes: like this was somebody he should know.**

Her eyes narrowed.

**The kid was almost as pale as Octavian, but with dark eyes and messy black hair. He didn't look anything like Hazel. He wore a silver skull ring, a chain for a belt, and a black T-shirt with skull designs. At his side hung a pure-black sword.**

She was shooting daggers in Nico's direction.

**For a microsecond when he saw Percy, the boy seemed shocked—panicked even, like he'd been caught in a searchlight.**

"**This is Percy Jackson," Hazel said. "He's a good guy. Percy, this is my brother, the son of Pluto."**

**The boy regained his composure and held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you," he said. "I'm Nico Di Angelo."**

In seconds, Annabeth was up and pushed Nico against a wall. "What the Hades are you doing there?" She yelled.

Nico couldn't move her arm from it's place at his neck, but he was able to lessen the pressure so it wasn't crushing his windpipe. "Doors of Death; open; Bianca; rebirth; Hazel; dead; second chance; Roman." He managed.

Annabeth dropped her arm from his throat. The others didn't understand what Nico meant, but Annabeth put it together. "The Doors of Death were open and you were gonna bring back Bianca?" Nico nodded. "But she chose rebirth." Nico nodded again. "You met Hazel in the Underworld and gave her a second chance, but she had to go to Camp Jupiter." Nico again nodded while he allowed his breath to return. Tears were lining his eyes.

"I'll never see her again." He muttered.

Annabeth did the last thing anyone expected. She hugged him. "I'm sorry." she whispered.

Nico tried to hold back his tears, but a few leaked out.

"But why didn't you tell us?" Thalia asked.

"It wasn't time for you to know. Believe me, I wanted to tell you guys, but Hera made me swear. "

Annabeth curled back up in the blanket. "You can keep reading." She said.

"That was chapter. Who's next?"

When no one volunteered, Piper said she would.

* * *

***This is a reference to _The Diary of Luke Castellen _in _The Demigod Diaries_. If you want it, here's an explanation: Luke and Thalia are following a spirit. They end up in a trap that was suppose to kill them. They meet a man, Hal, who is cursed to live there and watch demigods die. Hal was a son of Apollo, with the gift of prophecy. He saw Luke's betrayl and when he saw Thalia's future, he told she would reunite with her family. She said she only had her mother. He said not your mother. Since she thought Jason was dead, she thought he was lying.**

* * *

**YAY! Chapter's done! **

**NEWS**

**I will probably not be able to update May 16-19 for my band trip. Little free time + No internet = No update = Sad readers = sad author. But I'll still write!**

**REVIEW!**


	6. Hazel V

**FINALLY! Chapter six is up! Questions are answered in author's note below. Please Review when you're done!**

* * *

**V Hazel**

**HAZEL FELT LIKE SHE'D JUST INTRODUCED two nuclear bombs. **

"Accurate description." Grover noted.

**Now she was waiting to see which one exploded first.**

"Nico will." Annabeth said. "If at all."

**Until that morning, her brother Nico had been the most powerful demigod she knew.**

Nico smiled. He was glad to know his sister thought highly of him.

"Wait 'till she meets Thalia." Grover said. Nico would've protested, but he knew it was true.

**The others at Camp Jupiter saw him as a travelling oddball, about as harmless as the fauns.**

Everyone laughed, and Nico pouted. He started plotting ways to change that thought, but his only ideas would get him kicked out of Camp Jupiter for good.

**Hazel knew better. She hadn't grown up with Nico, hadn't even known him very long. But she knew Nico was more dangerous than Reyna, or Octavian, or maybe even Jason.**

"Hey!" Jason pouted slightly.

"It's nice to know I'm more powerful than somebody."

**Then she'd met Percy.**

Jason again yelled protest, but Nico didn't. He knew it was true, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"It's true." Thalia said. "He's more powerful than me, though that pessimistic bastard won't believe it."

**At first, when she saw him stumbling up the highway with the old lady in his arms, Hazel had thought he might be a god in disguise.**

**Even though he was beat up, dirty, and stooped with exhaustion, he'd had an aura of power. He had the good looks of a Roman god, with sea-green eyes and windblown black hair.**

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. She knew this description to be true, but she didn't like this girl saying it.

"Don't worry about it." Nico said noticing the look on her face. "Those two wouldn't have good romantic chemistry. Even I can tell that."

**She'd ordered Frank not to fire on, him. She thought the gods might be testing them. She'd heard myths like that: a kid with an old lady begs for shelter, and when the rude mortals refuse—**_**boom, **_**they get turned into banana slugs.**

"I'd rather Dionysus turn me into a dolphin." Annabeth said.

"So you can be with Percy?" Thalia asked with a teasing face.

Annabeth blushed slightly, but didn't deny it.

**Then Percy had controlled the river and destroyed the gorgons. He'd turned a pen into a bronze sword. He'd stirred up the whole camp with talk about the **_**graecus.**_

**A son of the sea god...**

**Long ago, Hazel had been told that a descendant of Neptune would save her. But could Percy really take away her curse? **

"First, he's a descendant of Poseidon. Second, descendant usually means two or more generations."

**It seemed too much to hope for. Percy and Nico shook hands. They studied each other warily, and Hazel fought the urge to run. If these two busted out the magic swords, things could get ugly.**

"Fights always are between Big Three kids." Grover noticed.

**Nico didn't appear scary. He was skinny and sloppy in his rumpled black clothes. His hair, as always, looked like he'd just rolled out of bed.**

A few people chuckled. Nico shrugged. He didn't exactly get time to comb his hair a lot.

**Hazel remembered when she'd met him. The first time she'd seen him draw that black sword of his, she'd almost laughed. The way he called it "Stygian iron," all serious-like—he'd looked ridiculous.**

Nico scowled, and people continued to snicker.

"Serious isn't your thing." Thalia said.

"Yeah." Annabeth agreed. "Sometimes you need to go back to your dorky Mythomagic days. "

**This scrawny white boy was no fighter.**

"That's not true." Nico protested.

"Not Hand-to-Hand fighting." Thalia said. "You're better when you have an army to control."

**She certainly hadn't believed they were related. She had changed her mind about that quick enough.**

**Percy scowled. "I—I know you."**

**Nico raised his eyebrows. "Do you?" He looked at Hazel for explanation.**

**Hazel hesitated. Something about her brother's reaction wasn't right. He was trying hard to act casual, but when he had first seen Percy, Hazel had noticed his momentary look of panic. Nico already knew Percy. She was sure of it. Why was he pretending otherwise?**

"Because I have to." He muttered.

Annabeth glared at him for a second before remembering his reasoning. Though Nico did catch the glare.

"For the record, it actually hurt when I met Jason here. I couldn't tell him anything. Just imagine how much it will hurt when I see Percy." Nico told her.

Annabeth stayed silent.

Jason piped up from his place on the upper frame of the ship. "Should I be offended?"

Thalia looked up at her brother and felt her stomach tie itself into knots by the height he was at. "No. Nico's just saying he's known Percy longer and therefore has a better relationship with him. It will be harder for him to lie to Percy." She said. Then, just to be safe, she added, "Do not be offended."

**Hazel forced herself to speak. "Um…Percy's lost his memory." She told her brother what had happened since Percy had arrived at the gates.**

"**So, Nico…" she continued carefully, "I thought…you know, you travel all over. Maybe you've met demigods like Percy before, or..."**

**Nico's expression turned as dark as Tartarus. Hazel didn't understand why, but she got the message: **_**Drop it.**_

"**This story about Gaia's army," Nico said. "You warned Reyna?"**

**Percy nodded. "Who is Gaia, anyway?"**

"He's so stupid." Thalia muttered.

"He's a seaweed brain." Annabeth said in a defensive tone. That logic didn't make sense to the others, but Annabeth said it such away, they thought maybe she could use it as an alibi for Percy in court.

**Hazel's mouth went dry. Just hearing that name…It was all she could do to keep her knees from buckling. She remembered a woman's soft sleepy voice, a glowing cave, and feeling her lungs fill with black oil.**

"That's gross." Leo commented.

"You practically live in oil, Valdez." Piper commented. "We don't call you Repair Boy for nothing."

"Yeah, but I don't swallow it or breath it in."

"That isn't helping your case." Jason informed.

"**She's the earth goddess." Nico glanced at the ground as if it might be listening. "The oldest goddess of all. She's in a deep sleep most of the time, but she hates the gods and their children."**

"**Mother Earth…is evil?" Percy asked.**

"Yes. Don't confuse her with Snow White." Piper informed a nonexistent Percy. Leo blushed from his place in the hull.

"**Very," Nico said gravely.**

**"She convinced her son, the Titan Kronos—um, I mean, Saturn—**

"Nico, if your going to sneak off to that camp, you should at least remember the names of their gods." Annabeth said.

**to kill his dad, Uranus, and take over the world. The Titans ruled for a long time. Then the Titans' children, the Olympian gods, overthrew them."**

"**That story seems familiar," Percy sounded surprised, like an old memory had partially surfaced. "But I don't think I ever heard the part about Gaea."**

"Not many do." Thalia noted.

**Nico shrugged. "She got mad when the gods took over. She took a new husband— Tartarus, the spirit of the abyss—****and gave birth to a race of giants. **

"How do you have kids with a giant pit?" Piper asked. "I never understood things like that."

Leo started cracking up from where he was working on the ship. "Yes Piper, Gaea had kids with a giant armpit."

Piper shot Leo a look of annoyence, but it didn't last long. Everyone else started smiling and chuckling. It didn't take long for Piper to join them.

**They tried to destroy Mount Olympus, but the gods finally beat them. At least…the first time."**

"**The first time?" Percy repeated.**

**Nico glanced at Hazel. He probably wasn't meaning to make her feel guilty, but she couldn't help it. If Percy knew the truth about her, and the horrible things she'd done…**

"What did she do that's so horrible?" Grover asked.

"Nothing." Nico growled defensivly. Thalia jumped back some. She wasn't use to Nico being so mean and scary. "Sorry." He muttered when he saw her and Grover jump.

"**Last summer," Nico continued, "Saturn tried to make a comeback. There was a second Titan war. The Romans at ****Camp Jupiter stormed his headquarters on Mount Othrys, across the bay, and destroyed his throne. Saturn disappeared—"**

"Yeah. _Disapeered_." Annabeth said with a small glare in Nico's direction.

**He hesitated, watching Percy's face. Hazel got the feeling her brother was nervous that more of Percy's memory might come back.**

"No shit." Thalia said quiet enough so Nico couldn't hear.

"**Um, anyway," Nico continued, "Saturn probably faded back to the abyss. **

"You mean he went back to the abyss the hard way." Grover muttered.

**We all thought the war was over. Now it looks like the Titans' defeat stirred up Gaea. She's starting to wake. I've heard reports of giants being reborn. If they mean to challenge the gods again, they'll probably start by destroying the demigods.…"**

"I hate giants." The demigods muttered.

"**You've told Reyna this?" Percy asked.**

"**Of course." Nico's jaw tensed. "The Romans don't trust me. That's why I was hoping she'd listen to you. Children of Pluto…well, no offense, but they think we're even worse than children of Neptune. We're bad luck."**

"I've never thought about it, but the best Greek leaders here, are bad luck at Camp Jupiter." Jason noted.

"Really?" Thalia asked.

Jason nodded. "Hades' kids are bad luck. Poseidon's kids are bad luck. Athena doesn't have kids on the Roman side, plus I think she's a minor goddess in Rome.

"Athena is a minor goddess?" Annabeth asked, minorly offended. Jason nodded.

"She's not really respected."

"**They let Hazel stay here," Percy noted.**

"That's not the same."

"**That's different," Nico said.**

"**Why?"**

"**Percy," Hazel cut in, "look, the giants aren't the worst problem. Even ... even **_**Gaea **_**isn't the worst problem.**

"Are you sure? 'Cause Gaea's pretty bad." Leo said.

**The thing you noticed about the gorgons, how they wouldn't die, **_**that's **_**our biggest worry."**

"She has a point." He noted.

**She looked at Nico. She was getting dangerously close to her own secret now, ****but for some reason Hazel trusted Percy.**

"That's a good thing." Thalia noted. "If anyone can keep a secret, it's Percy."

"And you know this how?" Piper asked in a playful tone.

"That's for Percy and I to know, and nobody else to ever find out."

**Maybe because he was also an outsider, maybe because he'd saved Frank at the river. He deserved to know what they were facing.**

"Though he might not want to." Annabeth mutttered. "I know I don't."

"**Nico and I," she said carefully, "we think that what's happening is…Death isn't—" Before she could finish, a shout came from down the hill.**

"Could you finish that thought Nico?" Annabeth asked.

Nico shrugged. "My future thoughts are very different from my current thoughts. I know the doors are open, but I don't know what's exactly going on even now."

**Frank jogged toward them, wearing his jeans, purple camp shirt, and denim jacket. His hands were covered with grease from cleaning weapons.**

**As it did every time she saw Frank, Hazel's heart performed a little skip-beat tap-dance—which **_**really **_**irritated her. Sure, he was a good friend—one of the only people at camp who didn't treat her as if she had a contagious disease. But she didn't like him in **_**that **_**way.**

"Sure you don't." Piper said.

Nico rolled his eyes, trying to cover up the fact he was a protective brother.

**He was three years older than she was, and he wasn't exactly Prince Charming, with that strange combination of baby face and bulky wrestler's body. He looked like a cuddly koala bear with muscles. The fact that everyone always tried to pair them, up—**_**the two biggest losers at camp! You guys are perfect for each other**_**—just made Hazel more determined not to like him.**

"That's sad." Leo noted.

**But her heart wasn't with the program. It went nuts whenever Frank was around. She hadn't felt like that since ... well, since Sammy.**

"Who?" Thalia asked.

"Her first boyfriend." Leo said. "Obviously."

**Stop it, she thought. You're here for one reason—and it isn't to get a new boyfriend.**

"Told ya."

**Besides, Frank didn't know her secret. If he knew, he wouldn't be so nice to her.**

"I doubt that." Thalia said. "He seems sweet, in a brotherly way."

**He reached the shrine. "Hey, Nico…"**

"**Frank." Nico smiled. He seemed to find Frank amusing, **

"I do." Nico admitted.

**maybe because Frank was the only one at camp who wasn't uneasy around the children of Pluto.**

"And his face." Nico added.

"**Reyna sent me to get Percy," Frank said. "Did Octavian accept you?"**

"**Yeah," Percy said. "He slaughtered my panda."**

"That sounds so much worse than it actually is." Annabeth chuckled. Thalia smiled, her best friend was feeling better.

"**He…Oh. The augury? Yeah, teddy bears must have nightmares about that guy. **

"I know I would." Leo said.

"I know I do." Jason muttered. He wasn't quiet enough so everyone turned to him.

**But you're in! We need to get you cleaned up before evening muster."**

**Hazel realized the sun was getting low over the hills. How had the day gone so fast? "You're right," she said. "We'd better—"**

"**Frank," Nico interrupted,**

"You're nice to your sister." Jason said.

"And you're nice to your girlfriend." Nico said blandly. Jason blushed and gestured for Piper to keep reading.

**"why don't you take Percy down? Hazel and I will be along soon."**

**Uh-oh, Hazel thought. She tried not to look anxious.**

"She's not very good at that."

**"That's—that's a good idea," she managed. "Go ahead, guys. We'll catch up."**

**Percy looked at Nico one more time, as though he was still trying to place a memory. **

Nico mentally apologized to Percy.

**"I'd like to talk with you some more. I can't shake the feeling—"**

"Because it's not just a feeling." Grover muttered.

"**Sure," Nico agreed. "Later. I'll be staying overnight."**

"**You will?" Hazel blurted. The campers were going to love that—the son of Neptune and the son of Pluto arriving on the same day. **

"Correction: The son of Poseidon and the son of Hades arriving on the same day." Annabeth said.

**Now all they needed was some black cats and broken mirrors.**

"Add some spilled salt and cracks in the ground, you got a party." Leo said.

"**Go on, Percy," Nico said. "Settle in."**

"But don't get comfortable." Annabeth muttered quietly enough so no one could hear her. "We'll be there soon."

**He turned to Hazel, and she got the sense that the worst part of her day was yet to come. "My sister and I need to talk."**

"Piper, the way you read that." Leo said, shuddering slightly.

Piper had been reading more animatly than most people would. She did her best impressions of everyone that she knew when they spoke, and tried to get into it, using different tones. She made the last line really dark and creepy. Piper shrugged and kept reading.

"**You know him, don't you," Hazel said.**

"Yes." Everyone choursed.

**They sat on the roof of Pluto's shrine, which was covered with bones and diamonds. As far as Hazel knew, the bones had always been there. The diamonds were her fault. If she sat anywhere too long, or just got anxious, they started popping up all around her like mushrooms after a rain. Several million dollars' worth of stones glittered on the roof, but fortunately the other campers wouldn't touch them. **

"What's fortunate about that?" Leo asked. "Several million dollars!"

"Some advice," Nico said. "Don't take any of the stones that atract to her unless you want very bad things to happen."

The look in his eye told everyone he wasn't kidding or joking around. Leo gulped as he nodded and sulked back into the inner hull of the ship.

**They knew better than to steal from temples—especially Pluto's—and the fauns never came up here.**

"That's good." Grover said.

**Hazel shuddered, remembering her close call with Don that afternoon. If she hadn't moved quickly and snatched that diamond off the road…She didn't want to think about it. She didn't need another death on her conscience.**

"She a murderer?" Leo asked.

"No." Nico said defensivly. "She's not a murderer. It's not her fault she's cursed."

**Nico swung his feet like a little kid. **

"I can totally imagine you doing that." Thalia said. "Add some Mythomagic cards, and you almost got the old Nico!"

**His Stygian iron sword lay by his side, next to Hazel's **_**spatha. **_**He gazed across the valley, where construction crews were working in the Field of Mars, building fortifications for tonight's games.**

"**Percy Jackson." He said the name like an incantation.**

"**Hazel, I have to be careful what I say. Important things are at work here. Some secrets need to stay secret. You of all people—you should understand that."**

"She better understand that."

**Hazel's cheeks felt hot. "But he's not like…like me?"**

"No."

"**No," Nico said. "I'm sorry I can't tell you more. I can't interfere. Percy has to find his own way at this camp."**

"Can't you help him a smidge?" Annabeth asked.

Nico shook his head.

"**Is he dangerous?" she asked.**

"Yes." Grover said.

**Nico managed a dry smile. "Very. To his enemies. But he's not a threat to Camp Jupiter. You can trust him."**

"I miss him." Annabeth whined. (But not in an annoying way)

"**Like I trust you," Hazel said bitterly.**

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Jason asked. "To trust Percy like she trusts you?"

"I- I don't know." Nico said. "I hope it's a good thing."

"Well, she said it bitterly." Piper pointed out. "That doesn't sound like a good thing."

Nico shrugged her shoulders. "She might feel like she has no choice but to trust me. I'd probably be bitter about that."

Everyone shrugged, not really knowing what else to say, Piper started reading again.

**Nico twisted his skull ring. Around him, bones began to quiver as if they were trying to form a new skeleton. Whenever he got moody, Nico had that effect on the dead, kind of like Hazel's curse. Between them, they represented Pluto's two spheres of control: death and riches. Sometimes Hazel thought Nico had gotten the better end of the deal.**

"I think that's true." He muttered. "I'd trade if I could."

"**Look, I know this is hard," Nico said. **"**But you have a second chance. You can make things right."**

"Second chance to make what right?" Jason asked.

"Just some wrongs she made in her past. Don't judge her though." Nico said.

"I won't."

"**Nothing about this is right," Hazel said. "If they find out the truth about me—"**

"They better not."

"**They won't," Nico promised. "They'll call a quest soon. They have to. You'll make me proud. Trust me, Bi—"**

Nico looked down, slightly ashamed. Grover sent a look of pity. Annabeth didn't. She didn't want the looks of pity over losing the person she cared most about. She doubted Nico would want it either.

**He caught himself, but Hazel knew what he'd almost called her: **_**Bianca. **_**Nico's **_**real **_**sister—the one he'd grown up with. Nico might care about Hazel, but she'd never be Bianca. Hazel was the simply the next best thing Nico could manage—a consolation prize from the Underworld.**

"She's no consolation." Nico muttered. "I love her just as much as Bianca."

"**I'm sorry," he said.**

**Hazel's mouth tasted like metal, as if gold nuggets were popping up under her tongue. "Then it's true about Death? Is Alcyoneus to blame?"**

"Huh?" Grover asked. He was lost now.

"Don't ask me, buddy." Nico said. "This is the future."

"**I think so," Nico said. "It's getting bad in the Underworld. Dad's going crazy trying to keep things under control. ****From what Percy said about the gorgons, things are getting worse up here, too. **

"Worse?" Leo moaned. "It's already bad enough."

**But look, that's why you're here. All that stuff in your past—you can make something **_**good**_** come out of it. You belong at Camp Jupiter."**

**That sounded so ridiculous, Hazel almost laughed. She didn't belong in this place. **

"Yeah she does."

**She didn't even belong in this century. **

"What?" Leo asked.

"Were you not paying attention at the end of the last chapter?" Piper asked. Leo shook his head. Piper rolled her eyes. "Pay more attention."

**She should have known better than to focus on the past, but she remembered the day when her old life had been shattered.**

**The blackout hit her so suddenly,**

Nico made a asound of esaspiration. "I thought she'd be over it by then!"

**s****he didn't even have time to say, **_**Uh-oh**_**. She shifted back in time. Not a dream or a vision. The memory washed over her with such perfect clarity, she felt she was actually there.**

**Her most recent birthday. She'd just turned thirteen. But not **_**last **_**December— December 17, 1941, the last day she had lived in New Orleans.**

"Chapter." Piper announced. "Who's next?"

"Me." Jason said taking the book.

* * *

**Q&A**

**Q: Does that mean you won't be writing util May 19th? Or from May 16th-19th?**

**A: I will continue writing during the time period. I will not have the time or the device to update.**

**Q: what is your band called?**

**A: It's just my school's marching band. We're going to Spokane for a parade and some workshops. **

**Q: What does Neptunus Equester mean?**

**A: I'm not really sure. I looked up 'Neptune's title' on Google and found that on Wikipedia. I know an equestrian is a person that rides horses, and since Neptune made horses, that would make sense.**

**News**

**So, I have really bad luck. I have a feeling that this story is going to get taken down before I finish it. Because of this feeling, I'm keeping an extra copy of each chapter backed up in a Word document. I'm also going to keep a list of my way, if I do get kicked off FanFiction, I can create a new account and repost them. Then I'll PM you guys from my new account and let you know I reposted it. **

**I saw _Iron Man 3_ last night! Amazing, as always. The way Tony was reacting to what happened in New York, that's exactly the way I imagine how Percy and Annabeth would be reacting if they survive Tartarus, only they'd have it more extreme. So, yeah. no question I liked the movie. Can't wait for _Thor 2_, though it doesn't look as good.**

**REVIEW!**


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